Major: Biology Research Department: Psychiatry/Clinical Psychology Graduation Date: May 2020
Abstract: Objective: Major depressive disorder can have varying effects on neurocognitive function. The lack of uniformity among studies has produced confounding results, making it difficult to confirm results. This study examined the effects of MDD on the neurocognitive domains of executive function and attention. Participants and Methods: 89 healthy participants and 26 participants with MDD participated in this IRB approved study after they provided written informed consent. MDD was diagnosed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and depression severity was measured with the clinician-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. The neurocognitive battery included the CNS Vital Signs computerized neurocognitive battery (Executive Function Global Score, Stroop Test, Continuous Performance Test), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Delis Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency Test. Results: There were no significant differences in the demographics of the healthy controls and MDD participants except in regard to ethnicity (p=0.04). No statistically significant differences were found between the neurocognitive functions of the two cohorts. Specifically, global executive function, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, and sustained attention were relatively similar in healthy participants and patients with MDD. Conclusions: Unexpectedly, no differences were found in the neurocognitive function between the healthy and depressed cohorts. Healthy and depressed participants showed similar performance on executive function (cognitive flexibility, response inhibition) and sustained attention measures. A potential limitation in this study was that the cognitive measures utilized require an interplay of neurocognitive functions at work, which made it challenging to distinguish the possible impact of MDD on cognitive component processes. Further research is needed to understand the effects of MDD on neurocognitive functioning and should include the development of a more efficient and precise way to measure neurocognitive functioning as well as a larger cohort of MDD patients.
What does research mean to you? Research is all about experimenting and discovery! The advances we have made as a society in medicine, engineering, technology, etc. all stem from the work of scientists in research. As someone who has always been interested in science, I started participating in science fairs in 1stgrade. I loved that excitement and hard work (of course) of the whole journey! Research is a hands-on experience that can act as a learning experience for students. It is amazing to see how what you learned in class can be applied in the real world. In fact, it has even helped me understand ideas and concepts better than just learning about them in a classroom. Tell us about your journey. I’m truly so glad that I decided to apply and participate in the Green Fellows program. Besides all the research and science aspects that I learned this semester, I also learned that its okay to be nervous but to always keep pushing yourself and trying new things! Recently, I gained an interest in the field of clinical psychology. I decided to work in a Psychiatry/Clinical Psychology lab. This was very different from the labs that past Green Fellows had been a part of. As a Biology major, I knew very little about psychology. I had to spend hours and hours initially just reading and trying to gain a better understanding of the research my lab was doing. All the reading came in handy when I was able to build my own project from start to finish in my lab. It was a very unique experience!
Advice for Future Green Fellows
Be brave! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! This program is so special and different experience from the usual undergraduate research all together. I know it can be intimidating at first, but everyone at UTSW is so welcoming. I had the opportunity to work with some amazing people in my lab. Be sure to explore the large campus! There is almost a lecture/seminar every day. Take some time out to attend the talks that are of interest to you. It’s a great way to learn about different fields of science. I attended a variety of lectures spanning from law and ethics all the way to biochemistry and radiology. Overall, enjoy your semester at UTSW!