Impaired pitch identification as a potential marker for depression

• Published in: BMC psychiatry 2012-04, Vol.12 (1), p.32-32, Article 32
• Main Authors: Schwenzer, Michael, Zattarin, Eva, Grözinger, Michael, Mathiak, Klaus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Acoustic Stimulation; Adult; Analysis; Attention - physiology; Bias; Choice Behavior - physiology; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - physiopathology; Depression, Mental; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - physiopathology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Motivation; Non-verbal processing; Pitch discrimination; Pitch identification; Pitch Perception - physiology; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Reaction Time - physiology; Sex effect; Women
• ISSN: 1471-244X; 1471-244X
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-12-32

Impaired auditory performance has been considered as marker for depression. The present study tested whether pitch perception is affected in depression and whether the impairment is task-specific or reflects global dysfunction. Twelve depressive in-patients and 12 non-depressive participants, half of the sample women, volunteered. The participants performed pitch identification using a four-choice reaction task, pitch contour perception, and pitch discrimination. During pitch identification but not during pitch contour perception or pitch discrimination, depressive patients responded less accurate than non-depressive participants (F = 3.3, p = 0.047). An analysis of covariates revealed that only female but not male depressive patients identified pitches poorly (Z = -2.2, p = 0.025) and inaccurate pitch identification correlated with high scores in the Beck Depression Inventory in women (r = -0.8, p = 0.001) but not in men (r = -0.1, p = 0.745). Patients did not differ from controls in reaction time or responsiveness. Impaired pitch perception in depression is task-specific. Therefore, cognitive deficits in depression are circumscribed and not global. Reduced pitch identification in depression was associated with female sex. We suggest that impaired pitch identification merits attention as a potential marker for depression in women.