Childhood trauma and diagnosis of major depression: Association with memory and executive function

Michael Kaczmarczyk; Katja Wingenfeld; Linn K Kuehl; Christian Otte; Kim Hinkelmann

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.071

Childhood trauma and diagnosis of major depression: Association with memory and executive function

Psychiatry Res. 2018 Dec:270:880-886. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.071. Epub 2018 Oct 30.

Authors

Michael Kaczmarczyk¹, Katja Wingenfeld², Linn K Kuehl², Christian Otte², Kim Hinkelmann³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
³ Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.

PMID: 30551338
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.071

Abstract

Cognitive function is often impaired in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Childhood trauma is a risk factor for developing MDD and is also associated with cognitive impairments in later life. We aimed to investigate the effects of childhood trauma on cognitive function in MDD. 68 medication-free MDD patients and 75 healthy controls (HC) participated. We tested cognitive function with the Autobiographical Memory Test, Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), Trail Making Test A and B, Rey-Osterrieth/Taylor Complex Figure Test, and Digit Span Backward. Childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Patients and HC did not differ with respect to age, sex, education. Mean CTQ sum scores differed significantly for depressed and HC with mean 47.8 (19.2) and 31.0 (6.8), respectively. Depressed patients and HC (without taking childhood trauma into account) differed only in AVLT performance. When childhood trauma was considered, this group difference disappeared. Subsequent regression analyses revealed that higher CTQ scores but not a diagnosis of MDD were associated with less specific autobiographical memories. Associations of CTQ with other cognitive domains failed significance after correction for multiple testing. Our results suggest that cognitive function is influenced by childhood trauma in MDD. However, the effects are small.

Keywords: Autobiographical memory; Childhood trauma; Depression; Early adversity; Executive function; Memory.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events / psychology*
Case-Control Studies
Child
Cognition
Cognitive Dysfunction / psychology*
Depressive Disorder, Major / psychology*
Executive Function*
Female
Humans
Male
Memory, Episodic*
Middle Aged
Surveys and Questionnaires
Verbal Learning