Cognitive impairment in major depression: an analysis of problems and potential solutions (review)

Abstract

Cognitive impairments are frequently accompanies major depressive disorder. Moreover, they tend to persist during remission, greatly affect the quality of life of patients, including social and professional integration. Despite the large number of attempts to characterize the cellular and cerebral mechanisms underlying cognitive functions, define the nature and causes of cognitive impairment in depressive disorders and develop methods for their correction, the problem is still far from being solved without validation of theoretical conclusions and research diagnostic criteria. This article provides a critical assessment of the existing notions of cognitive impairment, highlights the difficulties encountered by researchers and discusses further opportunities to improve the cognitive functioning of patients with depressive disorders.