Verbal memory in late ontogenesis: normal aging and late-age depression

Abstract

The authors analyze the features of verbal memory in late-aged depression and normal aging. Due to the increase in the frequency of late-onset affective disorders of the depressive spectrum in recent decades, the attention of specialists is increasingly attracted to the analysis of mental processes of patients. One of the vulnerable components of the cognitive sphere in late depression is memory. The objective of this study was to assess verbal memory in patients with depression and mentally healthy late-aged. A group of patients with depression (F. 31, F. 32, F. 33 on ICD-10) consisting of 197 persons (age 68+13 years) who were hospitalized in the clinic of Mental Health Research center, as well as 100 mentally healthy persons (age 64+8,3 years) were examined. The control and clinical groups were comparable in terms of the main socio-demographic characteristics. The authors interpreted the results of the two methods: 1) learning and delayed recall of 5 words presented at the hearing; 2) the naming of the 5 sharp objects. The first method assessed: the volume of direct reproduction; the number of presentation of the material; the volume of delayed reproduction, the frequency of different types of errors. The second methodology assessed the frequency of errors, pauses and cases when respondents needed additional verbal stimulation and/or clarification of the semantic field. Statistical data processing was performed using the program SPSS Statistics and Microsoft Office Excel 2007. The results showed that patients with depression coped worse with the proposed tasks than mentally healthy persons. When memorizing 5 words they had lower indicators of direct and delayed reproduction; they generally required more presentations of the material for learning. Negative age dynamics of indicators of the verbal memory was more pronounced for depression. When calling 5 sharp subjects patients with depression often paused; often needed verbal stimulation by a psychologist or a hint of the semantic field.