Emotional Working Memory in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression

Different capacity in performing cognitive tasks with emotional
components amongst normal subjects and those with emotional disorders as well as the
disparity in verbal and visual information processing for the same, warrant the study of
emotional working memory capacity in patients with major depressive- (MDD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
This Ex post-facto research enrolled four groups including individuals with PTSD, MDD, non- PTSD and a control group which each comprising 14 participants. Participants were selected through the convenience sampling method. The four applied assessment tools were the semi-structured diagnostic interviews for PTSD, the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R) questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory (BD), and a computer version of the visual-emotional working memory capacity task. One-way analysis of variation (ANOVA) was used upon statistical analysis.
Results revealed significant differences in total visual working memory
capacity between PTSD, non- PTSD, and control group. In addition, the difference
between PTSD and non- PTSD groups and depressed and non- PTSD groups in traumarelated distracters were significant.
It can be concluded that impaired visual working memory capacity can be considered as a risk factor for re-experiencing symptoms in patients with PTSD. In addition, weak cognitive control in patients with PTSD and MDD can be considered as a premorbid factor in this group.