Major depressives' and dysthymics' performance on the wisconsin card sorting test

✍ Scribed by David J. Martin; Zecharia Oren; Kyle Boone

• Book ID: 102676711
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 502 KB
• Volume: 47
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9762
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(199109)47:5<684::aid-jclp2270470509>3.0.co;2-g

✦ Synopsis

Despite awareness that depression may affect performance on commonly used neuropsychological tests, little research has been conducted on the relative impact of severity and type of depression o n higher problem-solving ability. Major depressives (n = 13), dysthymics (n = 17), and non-psychiatric comparison subjects (n = 18) were administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Although diagnostic category was related only marginally to some WCST measures after controlling for intellectual function, depressive symptom severity emerged as an independent predictor of Total Errors, Perseverative Responses, and Failure to Maintain Set. These findings lend support to the suggestion that neuropsychological test batteries should include assessment for depression and suggest that even relatively mild depression may affect WCST scores.