Does Baseline Cognitive Function Predict the Reduction Rate in HDRS-17 Total Scores in First-Episode, Drug-Naïve Patients with Major Depressive Disorder?

• Published in: Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment 2024, Vol.20, p.353-361
• Main Authors: Jiao, Qingyan, Dong, Yeqing, Ma, Xiaojuan, Ji, Shiyi Suzy, Liu, Xinyu, Zhang, Jian, Sun, Xia, Li, Dazhi, Luo, Xingguang, Zhang, Yong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidepressants; Autonomy; Clinical outcomes; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition disorders; Cognitive ability; Complications and side effects; Correlation analysis; fast; fed; Gender; Information processing; Interpersonal relations; Major depressive disorder; mccb; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Memory; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Original Research; Personal relationships; Prognosis; Quantitative psychology; Remission (Medicine); Risk factors; Schizophrenia; Substance abuse treatment; the reduction rate in hdrs-17 total scores; treatment response; Variables; Verbal learning; Vigilance
• ISSN: 1176-6328; 1178-2021; 1178-2021
• DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S453447

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with worse cognitive functioning. We aim to examine the association between baseline cognitive functioning and the reduction rate in HDRS-17 total scores and to highlight the predictors of the reduction rate in HDRS-17 total scores in MDD with first-episode, drug-naïve (FED) patients. Ninety FED patients were recruited consecutively and evaluated using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA-14), the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) at baseline and again at week 8. Eighty-four FED patients completed the study. Comparison showed that response group had significantly higher T scores in TMT-A, BACS-SC, WMS-III, BVMT-R, MSCEI and CPT-IP, but showed significantly lower scores in FAST total scores including autonomy, occupational functioning, cognitive functioning, interpersonal relationship than non- response group (all < 0.05). Partial correlation analysis also found that the reduction rate in HDRS-17 total scores could be negatively associated with autonomy, cognitive functioning and interpersonal relationship domains as well as total FAST scores, also was further positively associated with T-scores of BACS-SC, CPT-IP and MSCEI in MCCB, even when accounting for potential confounders. Furthermore, the levels of cognitive function domain, autonomy domain in FAST, and BACS-SC, CPT-IP in MCCB may predict the reduction rate in HDRS-17 total scores in FED patients (all < 0.05). Our findings underscore significant correlations between baseline functioning and the reduction rate in HDRS-17 total scores in FED patients. Moreover, better baseline cognitive function, autonomy, speed of processing and attention/vigilance are more likely to predict patients' response to antidepressant treatment, indicating pre-treatment better cognitive functioning may be predictors to treatment response in FED.