SIMPLE REACTION-TIME AND DEPRESSION IN THE ELDERLY

Authors
BIELIAUSKAS LA LAMBERTY GJ
Citation
La. Bieliauskas et Gj. Lamberty, SIMPLE REACTION-TIME AND DEPRESSION IN THE ELDERLY, Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging and cognition, 2(2), 1995, pp. 128-131
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology, Developmental","Psychology, Experimental
Journal title
Neuropsychology, development, and cognition. Section B, Aging and cognition → ACNP
ISSN journal
09289917
Volume
2
Issue
2
Year of publication
1995
Pages
128 - 131
Database
ISI
SICI code
0928-9917(1995)2:2<128:SRADIT>2.0.ZU;2-U
Abstract
A measure of simple reaction time was administered to 111 elderly outp atients who were classified as depressed or nondepressed on two measur es and as cognitively impaired or unimpaired based on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). Patients with cognitive impairment had slower react ion times, whether they were depressed or not. These results support p revious findings of minimal influence of depression on cognitive measu res in the elderly. They also point to the decreased efficiency of inf ormation processing in cognitively impaired individuals, with implicat ions for their engaging in potentially hazardous activities.