Zygouris Nikolaos C
Digital Neuropsychological Assessment Laboratory, Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, University of Thessaly, 35100 Lamia, Greece.
Brain Sci. 2024 Jun 28;14(7):660. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14070660.
Depression is clinically diagnosed when a defined constellation of symptoms manifests over a specific duration with notable severity. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is characterized by the presence of five or more symptoms persisting for at least two weeks. As a profound mental health condition affecting millions globally, depression presents a considerable challenge for researchers and clinicians alike. In pediatric and adolescent populations, depression can precipitate adverse outcomes, including substance abuse, academic difficulties, risky sexual behaviors, physical health problems, impaired social relationships, and a markedly elevated risk of suicide-up to thirty times higher than the general population. This paper details a study that evaluated the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alone vs. CBT combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in a treatment program. The study cohort comprised sixteen (16) children and adolescents diagnosed with depression (eight males and eight females) and sixteen (16) typically developing peers (eight males and eight females) aged from 9 to 15 years (Mean age = 11.94, standard deviation = 2.02). Initial assessments employed Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and reaction time measurements. The results reveal that participants with depression exhibit cognitive deficits in attention and memory, as evidenced by prolonged P300 latencies. Following intervention with either CBT alone or CBT combined with medication, the depressed participants demonstrated significant improvements, evidenced by lower CDI scores, reduced P300 latencies, and faster reaction times, both compared to their pre-treatment status and relative to the control group.
当一系列明确的症状在特定时长内显著出现且达到一定严重程度时，临床上即可诊断为抑郁症。根据《精神疾病诊断与统计手册》第五版（DSM - 5），重度抑郁症（MDD）的特征是出现五种或更多症状且持续至少两周。作为一种影响全球数百万人的严重心理健康状况，抑郁症给研究人员和临床医生都带来了相当大的挑战。在儿童和青少年群体中，抑郁症会引发不良后果，包括药物滥用、学业困难、危险的性行为、身体健康问题、社会关系受损，以及自杀风险显著升高——比普通人群高出多达三十倍。本文详细介绍了一项研究，该研究评估了认知行为疗法（CBT）单独使用与CBT联合选择性5 - 羟色胺再摄取抑制剂（SSRI）在一个治疗项目中的疗效。研究队列包括十六名（16）被诊断为抑郁症的儿童和青少年（八名男性和八名女性）以及十六名（16）年龄在9至15岁之间（平均年龄 = 11.94，标准差 = 2.02）发育正常的同龄人（八名男性和八名女性）。初始评估采用了事件相关电位（ERP）、儿童抑郁量表（CDI）和反应时间测量。结果显示，抑郁症患者在注意力和记忆方面存在认知缺陷，P300潜伏期延长证明了这一点。在单独使用CBT或CBT联合药物治疗后，与治疗前状态以及对照组相比，抑郁患者均表现出显著改善，CDI分数降低、P300潜伏期缩短以及反应时间加快证明了这一点。
