Depressive Symptoms and Working Memory Dysfunctions in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease

The problem of depression among patients with Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) especially after myocardial infarction (MI) is well documented. Various levels of cognitive dysfunctions also constitute a frequent problem in the clinical picture of IHD. The association of the two can be especially dangerous for the process of treatment and rehabilitation. The study group consisted of 111 patients aged 41–65 years Cognitive functions were evaluated by means of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The mental status was assessed by means of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). In the study group no elevated symptoms of depression were found, but subdepression could not be ruled out. The results of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WSCT) showed working memory dysfunction and executive functions impairment in the study group when compared with the control group. There was no statistically significant correlation between the depressive symptoms measured by HDRS and BDI and the cognitive dysfunctions obtained by WCST. Although the etiology of these bidirectional associations between depression and cognitive dysfunctions comorbid with IHD is not well understood, a number of negative outcomes are visible and should be taken into the diagnostic process and treatment by physicians.