Comparison of neuropsychological dysfunction in the patients with non-psychotic major depression with history of suicide, without history of suicide and normal people

Neuropsychological dysfunctions in patients with major depression may be related to the risk of committing suicide among them. The purpose of the present study was to compare neuropsychological dysfunctions between patients with non-psychotic major depression with suicide history, without suicide history and normal people. Method and Materials: This was an ex-post facto study with control group. Using convenience sampling method subjects were selected from the patients referring to Loghman and Imam Hosein hospitals in Tehran. The patients were assigned to 3 groups: patients with major depression and history of suicide (n=16), patients with major depression and without history of suicide (n=17), and normal people (n=22). 3 domains of neuropsychological dysfunction including focused attention, selective attention and cognitive flexibility were assessed by computerized tests of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Continued performance Test (CPT) and Stroop Test. Also, we assessed the severity of depression of participants by Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Using SPSS-16 data were analysed by MANOVA, MANCOVA and one-way ANOVA methods. The results showed that, with controlling depression, patients with major depression with suicide history showed significantly poorer function in WCST compared to the other two groups. But we did not observe any similar differences in the other 2 tests. In general, cognitive flexibility is injured more in the patients with major depression and suicide history than in the patients with major depression and without suicide history, which may result in increased risk of committing suicide among these patients.