Neuropsychological Function in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder and Suicidal Attempt

Neuropsychological dysfunction in major depressive disorder may be associated with the suicide risk in these patients. In this study, neuropsychological functions in patients with major depre-ssion and at least one prior suicide attempt, in patients with major depre-ssion and no history of suicide attempt, and healthy controls were compared. In this causal or ex post facto study, fifteen patients with non-psychotic major depressive disorder and at least one prior suicide attempt, fifteen patients with non-psychotic major depressive disorder who had no history of suicide attempts, and fifteen normal subjects were compared with one another based on their neuropsychological function. Subjects were selected upon their availability. Groups were matched for age, sex, and education. Using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Stroop Color-Word Test (SC-WT), Revised Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-R), and Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), 4 domains: executive functions, selective attention, visual memory, and verbal memory were assessed. Statistical tests of multi-variable analysis of variance, Tukey test, and co-variance analysis method were applied in data analysis. Non-psychotic major depressive patients with history of suicide attempt performed significantly worse than the other two groups on WCST (p<0.001) and SC-WT (p<0.001). Executive function and selective attention is more impaired in the first group than the second one. Impairments of per-formance in the executive function and selective attention in major depressive patients with prior suicide attempt are more extensive than what previously observed in major depressive disorder without suicide attempt. Neuropsychological impairments in major depressive disorder may be a risk factor for suicide attempts.