The usage of memory strategy of depressive elderly. Is there a difference between healthy elderly and depressive elderly?

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Pending

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 68

Inclusion Criteria

chapter 4.2 protocol
Inclusion criteria patients:
• age >=60
• patients with a chronic depression, depression partly in remission or dysthyme, according to DSM-IV criteria, receiving treatment
• affective disorder must exist over at least 6 months (psychofarmacological treatment is allowed, but the name and dosis of the drug must be known)
• Scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) between 11 en 19 (mild depressive symptoms)
• Scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) equal or higher than 25
• Scores on the Visuele Associatie Test (VAT) higher than percentile 10;chapter 4.4
inclusion criteria healthy elderly:
• age >= 60
• no psychiatric problems in history nor current
• GDS<11
• MMSE >= 25
• VAT> percentile 10

Exclusion Criteria

chapter 4.3 exclusion criteria patients:
• Patients who might have dementia or delirium and patients with MMSE-scores lower than 25 at the start of the research
• GDS<11 (no depressive symptoms) of GDS >19 (severe depressive symptoms)
• Severe behavioral problems, psychiatric or cognitive problems (for example CVA, but also other DSM-IV diagnoses or personality disorders), which cause that the patient cannot be instructed or cause that the patient is not suitable for a testsession
• Extreme and invalidating fysical or conditional problems
• Patients who cannot travel to the testlocation in Poortugaal
• VAT<= percentile 10
• Estimated verbal IQ< 90 measured by the Nederlandse Leestest voor Volwassenen (NLV);chapter 4.5 exclusion criteria healthy elderly:
• Elderly who might have dementia or delirium and elderly with MMSE-scores lower than 25 at the start of the research
• GDS >=11
• Having psychiatric problems currently or in history
• Severe behavioral problems, psychiatric or cognitive problems (for example CVA, but also other DSM-IV diagnoses or personality disorders), which cause that the elderly cannot be instructed or cause that the elderly is not suitable for a testsession
• Extreme and invalidating fysical or conditional problems
• cannot travel to the testlocation (in Poortugaal or elsewhere in the Netherlands)
• VAT<= percentile 10
• Estimated verbal IQ< 90 measured by the NLV

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational non invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The primary research variables are the differences in testresults on the<br /><br>memorytasks between the both groups. It is expected that the elderly with an<br /><br>affective disorder wil get the lower scores on these tasks compared with the<br /><br>healthy group.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The secundary research variables are the differences in types of memory<br /><br>strategies and the differences in the amount of complaints between both groups.<br /><br>It is expected that the elderly with an affective disorder wil use less<br /><br>efficiënt memory strategies, measured by the questionnaire on memory strategy<br /><br>use in daily life and reported in the interview. Also it is expected that they<br /><br>will report more complaints on the questionnaire on cognitive complaints.<br /><br><br /><br>Furthermore, it is expected that elderly with a lot of cognitive complaints are<br /><br>using less effective memory strategies. This will be found in lower scores on<br /><br>the memorytasks for the elderly who have high scores on the complaint<br /><br>questionnaire. And it is expected that elderly who score high on the complaints<br /><br>will report that they use less memory strategies in daily life (on the<br /><br>questionnaire).</p><br>