Cognitive impairment of medicated patients with remitted depression and low anticholinergic activity.

Background: A recent meta-analysis has found that patients who have achieved remission of major depressive disorder (MDD) show cognitive dysfunction. Moreover, anticholinergic activity levels are associated with cognitive dysfunction, although the extent of these effects is unclear. Therefore, we measured serum anticholinergic activity (SAA) in blood samples of patients with remitted MDD and examined its relationship with cognitive function.
Methods: We recruited 49 patients with remitted MDD following treatment and 165 healthy subjects. Subjects completed the Stroop test and the logical memory (LM) and visual reproduction (VR) subtests from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised. We compared cognitive function scores among those with SAA below the limit of quantification (SAA [-]), those with SAA above the limit of quantification (SAA [+]), and healthy controls.
Results: The SAA (+) group scored significantly lower (p < 0.001) than the healthy control group on all tests, and the VR score of the SAA (-) group was significantly lower than that of the healthy control group (p = 0.024). LM scores in the SAA (+) group were significantly lower than that of the SAA (-) group (p = 0.033). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant effect of SAA on the LM score (p = 0.015).
Limitations: Our study was a cross-sectional analysis of a small number of patients.
Conclusions: Our results support previous findings that the anticholinergic effect of antidepressants adversely affects cognitive function. Additionally, the cognitive impairment observed may persist because of MDD.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with The Juntendo Institute of Mental Health that includes: funding grants. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited that includes: speaking and lecture fees and travel reimbursement. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Lundbeck Japan that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Sumitomo Pharma Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Meiji Seika Pharma Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc Japan that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hitoshi Maeshima reports a relationship with Viatris Inc Japan that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science that includes: funding grants. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Eisai Co Ltd that includes: funding grants and speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Sumitomo Pharma Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc Japan that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Viatris Inc Japan that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Lundbeck Japan that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Mylan EPD that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Mochida Pharmaceutical Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Sawai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Kowa Company Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with Towa Pharmaceutical Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Hajime Baba reports a relationship with EA Pharma Co Ltd that includes: speaking and lecture fees. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)