Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2022.668

CORTICAL BRAIN PERFUSION AND COGNITIVE EVENT RELATED POTENTIALS IN PATIENTS WITH PSYCHOMOTOR RETARDATION IN LATE ONSET DEPRESSION

Marko Pišljar ; Psychiatric Hospital Idrija, Idrija, Slovenia ;Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
Grega Repovš ; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Maja Trošt ; Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia ; Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Petra Tomše ; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Zvezdan Pirtošek ; Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia ; Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

Background: Late onset depression is characterised by pronounced cognitive impairment, more somatic complaints and psychomotor
retardation. Psychomotor slowing may be due to impairment in either motor or cognitive domain. Electrophysiology may be
particularly convenient as a tool in studies of psychomotor retardation, as it can separate central cognitive processing from the
motor processing.
Subjects and methods: In this study we compared event related potentials (ERP) in the two groups of patients with late onset
depression and psychomotor slowing as measured by reaction time (RT): a group of patients with lower RT was compared to a group
with a higher RT. Twenty patients with late onset depression were included in the study after they had reached remission. Four weeks
after reaching remission patients were reevaluated clinically using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Mini Mental State Examination,
and with a computer version of the Stroop task. ERP, accuracy and RTs were simultaneously recorded. Both groups of
patients aditionaly underwent a perfusion SPECT imaging.
Results: There were no differences between the short and long RT groups of patients in amplitudes of the late positive Stroop
related potentials. The group of patients with longer RTs showed significant hyperperfusion in precentral gyrus, parietal regions,
cuneus and hypoperfusion within insular, frontal, temporal and limbic (parahyppocampal gyrus and anterior cingulate) cortices, as
well as cerebellum.
Conclusion: We found no ERP differences between the two groups suggesting that although patients may differ on psychomotor
retardation measured as RT, their cognitive abilities may be quite similar. Perfusion SPECT imaging however revealed a significant
difference between them. This may be due to a process of compensation and applying different strategies to cope with cognitive
impairment in the two groups.

Keywords

cortical brain perfusion; psychomotor retardation; late onset depression

Hrčak ID:

291053

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/291053

Publication date:

22.12.2022.

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