The DEMDERA-MDD study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Defining Episodic Memory Deficits and Emotion Related Attention in Major Depressive Disorder: The DEMDERA-MDD study
IRAS ID
144011
Contact name
Hamish McAllister-Williams
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
Cognitive deficits in Major Depressive Disorder have been well established, with episodic memory retrieval, attention and psychomotor speed (the speed with which we process information)usually reported or most affected. This is a pilot study designed to help us better understand the underlying mechanisms behind these deficits, we will test 30 MDD patients and 30 controls on novel tests of these three abilities, in order to understand these crucial cognitive processes in more detail and potentially develop more sensitive measures of the deficits. More sensitive measures would allow us to gauge the effects of novel treatments in more detail and pick up any improvements earlier in the treatment regimen.
We will therefore test the participants on a novel, more ecologically-valid measure of episodic memory, which we have developed. We will compare deficits on this task with deficits on a more traditional, but less ecologically valid episodic memory test to help make comparisons with published data. We will also test participants on a new computerized version of a psychomotor speed task, the Digit Symbol Substitution Task. Finally, we will explore attentional processes using a novel attentional task including emotional stimuli.REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NE/0363
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jan 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion