Does depression in patients with known or suspected cerebral disease contribute to impairment on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery?

Both the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to 48 consecutively referred patients. These consecutively seen patients comprised 25 cases of confirmed brain damage and 23 cases of "suspected" or questionable damage. Product-moment correlations were calculated between the BDI and three LNNB-derived indices of impairment. No relationship was found between depression and any of the LNNB performance indicators, indicating that the battery may be robust in the presence of depression. Necessary constraints on this implication were discussed and explicated in light of the concurrent need to evaluate new neuropsychological instruments in realistic clinical contexts.