Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; University of Munich, Department Psychology, Neuropsychology, 80804 Munich, Germany.
J Psychiatr Res. 2010 Jul;44(10):647-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.12.002. Epub 2010 Jan 8.
The concept of "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI) refers to alterations in cognition in the transition between normal aging and dementia. However, from a neuropsychological point of view the conventional diagnostic criteria appear not sufficiently valid. In particular, it is still difficult to differentiate between subjects with MCI and subjects with depression plus cognitive deficits on the basis of their neuropsychological profiles. The aim of this study is to compare cognitive deficit patterns of subjects with MCI and with depression. 24 subjects with MCI, 50 subjects with depression (DEP) and 20 healthy control subjects were included (age: 55-74years). The neuropsychological assessment consisted of standardized tests to assess attention, memory, and executive functions. Compared to healthy controls both subject groups showed significantly lower performance in all cognitive domains. However, we did not find significant differences in cognitive performance between MCI and DEP subjects, neither at baseline nor at follow-up. In addition, preliminary results of follow-up assessments after 2 (DEP) and 6months (MCI), respectively, revealed no significant changes in cognition in subjects with depression, regardless of whether depressive symptoms had improved. Subjects with MCI also showed no changes in cognition at follow-up. The comparable neuropsychological patterns identified in the two subject groups may be understood as a consequence of similar alterations in cognitive systems, supporting the idea of a final common pathway disorder. Thus, the cognitive deficits present in a subgroup of subjects with depression may possibly better be understood in the context of MCI.
“轻度认知障碍”（MCI）的概念是指正常衰老与痴呆之间认知功能的改变。然而，从神经心理学的角度来看，传统的诊断标准似乎不够有效。特别是，根据神经心理学特征，仍然很难区分 MCI 患者和伴有认知缺陷的抑郁症患者。本研究旨在比较 MCI 患者和抑郁症患者的认知缺陷模式。共纳入 24 名 MCI 患者、50 名抑郁症患者（DEP）和 20 名健康对照者（年龄：55-74 岁）。神经心理学评估包括评估注意力、记忆和执行功能的标准化测试。与健康对照组相比，两组患者在所有认知领域的表现均明显较低。然而，我们在 MCI 和 DEP 患者之间的认知表现上没有发现显著差异，无论是在基线还是随访时。此外，分别在 2 个月（DEP）和 6 个月（MCI）进行的随访评估的初步结果显示，抑郁症患者的认知没有明显变化，无论抑郁症状是否改善。MCI 患者在随访时的认知也没有变化。两个患者组中发现的可比神经心理学模式可以理解为认知系统相似改变的结果，支持最终共同途径障碍的观点。因此，抑郁症患者亚组存在的认知缺陷可能在 MCI 的背景下更好地理解。
