Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype

Background: Memory deficits are common in depressed patients and may persist after recovery. The aim of the present study was to determine whether memory impairments were present in young women at increased familial risk of depression and whether memory performance was related to either cortisol sec...

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Main Authors: Mannie, Z, Barnes, J, Bristow, G, Harmer, C, Cowen, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2009
Subjects:
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author Mannie, Z
Barnes, J
Bristow, G
Harmer, C
Cowen, P
author_facet Mannie, Z
Barnes, J
Bristow, G
Harmer, C
Cowen, P
author_sort Mannie, Z
collection OXFORD
description Background: Memory deficits are common in depressed patients and may persist after recovery. The aim of the present study was to determine whether memory impairments were present in young women at increased familial risk of depression and whether memory performance was related to either cortisol secretion or to allelic variation in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT). Method: Young women (n=35, age range 16-21 years) with no personal history of depression but with a depressed parent (FH+) carried out the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). They also provided samples for the measurement of waking salivary cortisol and for 5-HTT genotyping. An age-matched control group of women (n=31) with no family history of depression were similarly studied. Results: The FH+ participants had decreased immediate recall and recognition memory compared to controls. The impairment in recall, but not recognition, correlated negatively with increased cortisol secretion in FH+ subjects. There was no significant effect of 5-HTT allelic status on either memory or waking cortisol secretion. Conclusions: Impairments in declarative memory are present in young women at increased genetic risk of depression and may be partly related to increased cortisol secretion. Further studies are needed to explore the neural mechanisms underlying the memory impairments and whether they predict the development of clinical illness.
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spelling oxford-uuid:5e3327de-110d-4a0d-be4c-0593753f567b2022-03-26T17:39:01ZMemory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotypeJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:5e3327de-110d-4a0d-be4c-0593753f567bPsychiatryEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetCambridge University Press2009Mannie, ZBarnes, JBristow, GHarmer, CCowen, PBackground: Memory deficits are common in depressed patients and may persist after recovery. The aim of the present study was to determine whether memory impairments were present in young women at increased familial risk of depression and whether memory performance was related to either cortisol secretion or to allelic variation in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT). Method: Young women (n=35, age range 16-21 years) with no personal history of depression but with a depressed parent (FH+) carried out the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). They also provided samples for the measurement of waking salivary cortisol and for 5-HTT genotyping. An age-matched control group of women (n=31) with no family history of depression were similarly studied. Results: The FH+ participants had decreased immediate recall and recognition memory compared to controls. The impairment in recall, but not recognition, correlated negatively with increased cortisol secretion in FH+ subjects. There was no significant effect of 5-HTT allelic status on either memory or waking cortisol secretion. Conclusions: Impairments in declarative memory are present in young women at increased genetic risk of depression and may be partly related to increased cortisol secretion. Further studies are needed to explore the neural mechanisms underlying the memory impairments and whether they predict the development of clinical illness.
spellingShingle Psychiatry
Mannie, Z
Barnes, J
Bristow, G
Harmer, C
Cowen, P
Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype
title Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype
title_full Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype
title_fullStr Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype
title_full_unstemmed Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype
title_short Memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression: influence of cortisol and 5-HTT genotype
title_sort memory impairment in young women at increased risk of depression influence of cortisol and 5 htt genotype
topic Psychiatry
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