Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Implicit and Explicit Memory Performance

Cohort Study on the Differential Impact of Anxiety and Depression on Implicit and Explicit Memory Performance

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT06663423

Acronym

ADEM

Enrollment

Registered

2024-10-29

Start date

2024-08-10

Completion date

2024-09-30

Last updated

2024-10-31

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Explicit Memory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Implicit Memory, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Memory Bias

Keywords

Anxiety, Depression, Cognitive Bias, Memory Processing, Emotional Influence on Memory, Word Recognition Task, Mood-Congruent Memory, Psychological Disorders

Brief summary

This study examines the effect of anxiety and depression on memory processes, focusing on implicit and explicit memory. Implicit memory involves unconscious recall, such as recognizing familiar words without effort, while explicit memory requires conscious recollection of specific information. The study aims to investigate whether individuals with depression and anxiety show differences in these types of memory, which may contribute to biases related to their emotional states. Participants were divided into three groups: individuals with depressive disorder, individuals with generalized anxiety disorder, and a control group with no emotional disorders. Each group was assessed using tasks designed to measure both implicit and explicit memory performance. The goal is to enhance understanding of memory biases in individuals with depression and anxiety, potentially supporting more targeted interventions.

Detailed description

This cohort study is designed to explore potential memory biases in individuals with depressive and anxiety disorders compared to a control group. The study includes 27 participants divided into three groups: nine individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder, nine with generalized anxiety disorder, and nine control subjects with no history of emotional disorders. All participants were matched by age and education level. Participants completed standardized tasks and assessments, including the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and various memory tasks such as word decoding and recognition memory tasks. These tasks aim to evaluate mood-congruent biases in memory recall. Data collection will focus on analyzing any distinct memory processing patterns in depression and anxiety to improve psychological treatment approaches.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

COHORT

Time perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Adults aged 18 years or older * Individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (Group 1) * Individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (Group 2) * Healthy individuals with no history of emotional disorders (Group 3)

Exclusion criteria

* History of neurological disorders * Visual impairments * Substance abuse or drug addiction * Psychiatric hospitalizations unrelated to primary diagnosis (for Groups 1 and 2)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Explicit Memory Bias	At a single time point during the experimental session, approximately 1 day	The primary outcome is to assess explicit memory bias by measuring word recognition in participants with depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and a control group. Word recognition accuracy and response times are evaluated to determine mood-congruent biases specific to each group.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Implicit Memory Bias	At a single time point during the experimental session, approximately 1 hour	Secondary outcome is to assess implicit memory bias using a tachistoscopic word recognition task, measuring participants' ability to identify emotionally congruent words (e.g., words associated with depression, anxiety, and neutral words) without conscious awareness.

Other

Measure	Time frame	Description
Mood Congruence in Recognition Performance	At a single time point during the experimental session, approximately 1 hour	Analysis of mood-congruent recognition performance across different emotional word types (depression-related, anxiety-related, pleasant, and neutral) to determine if participants show selective attention based on mood.

Countries

Iran

Outcome results