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MS patients with depressive symptoms exhibit affective memory biases when verbal encoding strategies are suppressed

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2005

JARED M. BRUCE
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
PETER A. ARNETT
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
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Abstract

As many as 50% of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience clinical or subclinical depression. A voluminous literature has documented affective memory biases (AMB) among depressed individuals. Despite this, little is known regarding how depressive symptoms may affect MS patients' ability to recall positive and negative material. The present study employed an affective list-learning task that increased cognitive load and inhibited the use of higher order encoding strategies. The purpose of the study was twofold: to determine whether MS patients exhibit AMB and to examine whether subvocal repetition and other higher order encoding strategies are essential to the formation of AMB among people experiencing depression. Results indicated a strong relationship between depression and AMB in MS. The results are discussed in relation to existing biological research that indicates limbic and/or other subcortical systems may play a role in the formation of AMB. (JINS, 2005, 11, 514–521.)

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2005 The International Neuropsychological Society
Figure 0

Schematic of the Affective Reading Span Task.

Figure 1

Characteristics and F-values for nondepressed, mildly depressed, and moderately depressed MS patients

Figure 2

Characteristics and chi-square analyses for course and sex among nondepressed, mildly depressed, and moderately depressed MS patients

Figure 3

Means, standard deviations, and F-values for the ARST bias and composite indices for nondepressed, mildly depressed, and moderately depressed MS patients

Figure 4

Mildly and moderately depressed MS patients demonstrated a negative initial, delayed, and total bias when compared to nondepressed MS patients. Moderately depressed MS patients demonstrated a negatively skewed retention bias when compared to nondepressed MS patients. Initial bias = number of positive words minus number of negative words recalled during the immediate recall portion of the ARST. Delay bias = number of positive words minus number of negative words recalled during the delayed recall portion of the ARST. Total bias = z-transformed Initial bias plus z-transformed Delayed bias. Retention bias = percent positive retained from immediate recall to delayed recall minus percent negative retained from immediate to delayed recall.