Study Quantifies the Effect of Depressive Thoughts on Memory

Depressive thinking has been linked to a hindered ability to remember information, according to a study published in the journal Cognition and Emotion, conducted by the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. Researchers analyzed 157 undergraduate participants who were given a battery of self-evaluations to determine base levels of depressive behavior and attitude. Participants were then given memory tests in which either neutral or emotionally negative statements were followed by numbers to be memorized and repeated. It was found that notably depressed subjects showed a 12-percent loss in memorization ability following emotionally negative statements. The author explained, “Depression is an interference phenomenon. Rumination and negative thought-loops interfere with a person’s ability to think. We hypothesize that when individuals with depressed mood are exposed to stimuli, such as a meaningful song or a place that evokes sad feelings, the brain fixates on that and can’t focus on daily tasks such as a phone conversation or completing a grocery list.” This method will next be applied to participants who have been clinically diagnosed with depression to compare to this self-evaluated study. To learn more about this study, click here.