A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of verbal working memory in young people at increased familial risk of depression.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patients with depression show abnormalities in the neural circuitry supporting working memory. These abnormalities apparently persist into clinical remission, raising the possibility that they might be trait markers indicating vulnerability to depression.

Methods

We studied 17 young people who had a depressed parent but no personal history of depressive illness (FH) and 15 healthy control subjects with no family history of depression. Participants performed a verbal working memory task of varying cognitive load (n-back) while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. We used multiple regression analyses to assess overall capacity (1-, 2-, 3-back vs. 0-back) as well as linear and quadratic modulation of cognitive demand.

Results

Performance

SUBMITTER: Mannie ZN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2890050 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature