A influência do humor deprimido nas memórias verdadeiras e falsas

Introdução: As falsas memórias são um fenômeno no qual uma pessoa se lembra de um evento que nunca ocorreu ou ocorreu de maneira diferente. Este fenômeno pode ser tão vívido e realista quanto as memórias verdadeiras. Estudos mostram que o humor deprimido pode predispor a um número maior de falsas memórias. No entanto, ainda não há consenso sobre o surgimento de falsas memórias nessa população. Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar memórias verdadeiras e falsas memórias espontâneas em indivíduos com e sem depressão e com baixa escolaridade, através do paradigma Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM). Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, no qual 68 indivíduos (34 pacientes deprimidos e 34 controles saudáveis) foram recrutados em dois hospitais de referência em Porto Alegre. Os participantes foram avaliados por psiquiatras e responderam a um conjunto de questionários que incluíam características sociodemográficas, memórias verdadeiras e memórias falsas avaliadas através do paradigma DRM, aspectos neuropsicológicos avaliados pela Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), sintomas depressivos avaliados por meio da Escala Beck de Depressão e Escala de Depressão de Montgomery-Asberg e funcionamento psicossocial pela Escala Breve de Funcionamento (FAST). O estudo foi realizado de acordo com as diretrizes éticas internacionais (número de aprovação no comitê de ética: 2018-0437 GPPG/HCPA). Resultados: Os resultados do paradigma DRM mostraram que indivíduos deprimidos apresentaram menor desempenho na recordação de memórias verdadeiras (Wald χ²= 30,88; 18,40±0,88; p<0,001) e citam um número menor de palavras-tema (Wald χ²= 5,004; 0,54±0,11; p= 0,025) em comparação com controles saudáveis (23,49±0,79; 0,93±0,12), respectivamente. Por outro lado, os grupos apresentaram frequência semelhante para as falsas memórias espontâneas (Wald χ²= 1,828; p= 0,176). Os resultados da interação grupo por valência para memórias verdadeiras (Wald χ²= 4,980; p= 0,083), memórias falsas espontâneas (Wald χ²= 0,345; p= 0,842) e palavras-tema (Wald χ²= 2,227; p= 0,541) foram semelhantes, controlando as variáveis sexo, anos de educação e idade. No entanto, a análise de efeitos intraindividual (grupo e valências) demonstrou diferenças significativas para valências nas variáveis de paradigma DRM. Conclusões: Os participantes com depressão apresentaram desempenho inferior ao recordar memórias verdadeiras quando comparados a controles saudáveis, o que pode ser atribuído ao baixo desempenho nos domínios cognitivos. Referente às valências das memórias verdadeiras, não houve diferença entre os grupos, sugerindo que o conteúdo da memória episódica em indivíduos com depressão não é afetado pelo humor negativo (congruência do humor). Por último, os grupos tiveram desempenho semelhante do que tange às falsas memórias espontâneas.Introduction: False memories are a phenomenon in which a person remembers an event that never occurred or occurred differently. This phenomenon can be as vivid and realistic as true memories. Studies show that depressed mood can predispose to a greater number of false memories. However, there is still no consensus on the appearance of false memories in this population. Objective: This study aims to evaluate spontaneous false and true memories in low educational levels individuals with and without depression through Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study, in which 68 individuals (34 depressed patients and 34 healthy controls) were recruited from two referral hospitals in Porto Alegre. Participants were evaluated by psychiatrists and they responded to a set of questionnaires comprising sociodemographic characteristics, false memories assessed using DRM paradigm, neuropsychological aspects assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), depressive symptoms assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and psychosocial functioning by the Short Functioning Test (FAST). The study was carried out in accordance with international ethical guidelines (approval number on the ethics committee: 2018-0437 GPPG/HCPA). Results: The results of the DRM paradigm showed that depressed individuals presented lower performance for true memory recall (Wald χ²= 30.88; 18.40±0.88; p <0.001) and cited a smaller number of theme words (Wald χ²= 5.004; 0.54±0.11; p= 0.025) compared to healthy controls (23.49±0.79; 0.93±0.12), respectively. On the other hand, the groups showed a similar frequency for spontaneous false memories (Wald χ²= 1.828; p= 0.176). The results of the valence group interaction for true memories (Wald χ²= 4.980; p= 0.083), spontaneous false memories (Wald χ²= 0.345; p= 0.842) and critical lures (Wald χ²= 2.227; p= 0.541) were similar, controlling for sex, years of education and age. However, the analysis of effects within the subject (group and valences) demonstrated significant differences for valences in the DRM paradigm variables. Conclusions: The participants with depression performed poorly for true memories recall when compared to healthy controls. This can be attributed to low performance in the cognitive domains. Regarding the valences of true memories, there was no difference between the groups, suggesting that the content of episodic memory in individuals with depression is not affected by negative mood (mood congruence). Finally, the groups had similar performance for the spontaneous false memories

Validation of the English version of the Mood Rhythm Instrument

Background: Disruption of biological rhythms has been linked to the pathophysiology of mental disorders. However, little is known regarding the rhythmicity of mood symptoms due to the lack of validated clinical questionnaires. A better understanding of the rhythmicity of mood symptoms can help identifying individuals whose severity of mood symptoms follows an altered circadian rhythm. The objective of this study was to validate the English version of the Mood Rhythm Instrument (MRhI), a self-reported measure of self-perceived rhythmicity of mood symptoms and behaviours, in a sample of the general population from Canada. Methods: After the translation process, the final English version of the Mood Rhythm Instrument (MRhI-English) was applied on participants recruited at McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton campuses. Individuals were also asked to answer the Reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (rMEQ). Results: Four hundred one individuals completed the English version of the MRhI and the rMEQ. The MRhI-English presented a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.75. The factorial analysis grouped the MRhI-15 items in 3 factors (cognitive, affective and somatic), with affective items having a lower frequency of self-reported 24-h peaks. Comparison between sexes showed that women reported a higher frequency of daily peaks in irritability, anxiety, sadness and talking to friends, while men exhibited peaks more frequently in problem-solving, sexual arousal and motivation to exercise. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the English version of the MRhI displayed good internal consistency. Future directions will include the use of the MRhI instrument in individuals with mood disorders, aiming to provide a better understanding of the relationship between daily patterns of mood variability and mental health outcomes

Prospective assessment of daily patterns of mood-related symptoms

Background: The Mood Rhythm Instrument (MRI) is a new self-report questionnaire that aims to assess, the presence, and timing of daily patterns of mood-related symptoms. Here, we examined the reliability of the MRI against a prospective daily investigation over the course of 15 days. As a secondary aim, we examined whether the number of items with a perceived daily pattern correlated with severity of depressive symptoms and psychological well-being. Methods: Thirty-two participants recruited from the general population were asked to prospectively fill out a daily version of the MRI (MRI-d) for 15 days. On the 16th day, they filled out the MRI, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the World Health Organization 5-item well-being index (WHO-5). Results: The MRI showed high agreement with the MRI-d, which suggests that the MRI is a valid tool to assess daily patterns of mood symptoms. The number of mood symptoms perceived as having daily peaks correlated positively with BDI scores and negatively with WHO-5 scores. Conclusions: The MRI might be a valid tool to investigate the presence of daily patterns and the timing of mood-related factors.The MRI does not seem to be influenced by recall or recency biases. Future studies should test the usefulness of this new clinical instrument in individuals with mood disorders, as well as its ability to detect changes in the daily timing of mood symptoms before and after treatment

The revised mood rhythm instrument : a large multicultural psychometric study

Background: Recent studies with the mood rhythm instrument (MRhI) have shown that the presence of recurrent daily peaks in specific mood symptoms are significantly associated with increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Using a large sample collected in Brazil, Spain, and Canada, we aimed to analyze which MRhI items maintained good psychometric properties across cultures. As a secondary aim, we used network analysis to visualize the strength of the association between the MRhI items. Methods: Adults (n = 1275) between 18–60 years old from Spain (n = 458), Brazil (n = 415), and Canada (n = 401) completed the MRhI and the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). Psychometric analyses followed three steps: Factor analysis, item response theory, and network analysis. Results: The factor analysis indicated the retention of three factors that grouped the MRhI items into cognitive, somatic, and affective domains. The item response theory analysis suggested the exclusion of items that displayed a significant divergence in difficulty measures between countries. Finally, the network analysis revealed a structure where sleepiness plays a central role in connecting the three domains. These psychometric analyses enabled a psychometric-based refinement of the MRhI, where the 11 items with good properties across cultures were kept in a shorter, revised MRhI version (MRhI-r). Limitations: Participants were mainly university students and, as we did not conduct a formal clinical assessment, any potential correlations (beyond the validated SRQ) cannot be ascertained. Conclusions: The MRhI-r is a novel tool to investigate self-perceived rhythmicity of mood-related symptoms and behaviors, with good psychometric properties across multiple cultures

A influência do humor deprimido nas memórias verdadeiras e falsas

Introdução: As falsas memórias são um fenômeno no qual uma pessoa se lembra de um evento que nunca ocorreu ou ocorreu de maneira diferente. Este fenômeno pode ser tão vívido e realista quanto as memórias verdadeiras. Estudos mostram que o humor deprimido pode predispor a um número maior de falsas memórias. No entanto, ainda não há consenso sobre o surgimento de falsas memórias nessa população. Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar memórias verdadeiras e falsas memórias espontâneas em indivíduos com e sem depressão e com baixa escolaridade, através do paradigma Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM). Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, no qual 68 indivíduos (34 pacientes deprimidos e 34 controles saudáveis) foram recrutados em dois hospitais de referência em Porto Alegre. Os participantes foram avaliados por psiquiatras e responderam a um conjunto de questionários que incluíam características sociodemográficas, memórias verdadeiras e memórias falsas avaliadas através do paradigma DRM, aspectos neuropsicológicos avaliados pela Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), sintomas depressivos avaliados por meio da Escala Beck de Depressão e Escala de Depressão de Montgomery-Asberg e funcionamento psicossocial pela Escala Breve de Funcionamento (FAST). O estudo foi realizado de acordo com as diretrizes éticas internacionais (número de aprovação no comitê de ética: 2018-0437 GPPG/HCPA). Resultados: Os resultados do paradigma DRM mostraram que indivíduos deprimidos apresentaram menor desempenho na recordação de memórias verdadeiras (Wald χ²= 30,88; 18,40±0,88; p<0,001) e citam um número menor de palavras-tema (Wald χ²= 5,004; 0,54±0,11; p= 0,025) em comparação com controles saudáveis (23,49±0,79; 0,93±0,12), respectivamente. Por outro lado, os grupos apresentaram frequência semelhante para as falsas memórias espontâneas (Wald χ²= 1,828; p= 0,176). Os resultados da interação grupo por valência para memórias verdadeiras (Wald χ²= 4,980; p= 0,083), memórias falsas espontâneas (Wald χ²= 0,345; p= 0,842) e palavras-tema (Wald χ²= 2,227; p= 0,541) foram semelhantes, controlando as variáveis sexo, anos de educação e idade. No entanto, a análise de efeitos intraindividual (grupo e valências) demonstrou diferenças significativas para valências nas variáveis de paradigma DRM. Conclusões: Os participantes com depressão apresentaram desempenho inferior ao recordar memórias verdadeiras quando comparados a controles saudáveis, o que pode ser atribuído ao baixo desempenho nos domínios cognitivos. Referente às valências das memórias verdadeiras, não houve diferença entre os grupos, sugerindo que o conteúdo da memória episódica em indivíduos com depressão não é afetado pelo humor negativo (congruência do humor). Por último, os grupos tiveram desempenho semelhante do que tange às falsas memórias espontâneas.Introduction: False memories are a phenomenon in which a person remembers an event that never occurred or occurred differently. This phenomenon can be as vivid and realistic as true memories. Studies show that depressed mood can predispose to a greater number of false memories. However, there is still no consensus on the appearance of false memories in this population. Objective: This study aims to evaluate spontaneous false and true memories in low educational levels individuals with and without depression through Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study, in which 68 individuals (34 depressed patients and 34 healthy controls) were recruited from two referral hospitals in Porto Alegre. Participants were evaluated by psychiatrists and they responded to a set of questionnaires comprising sociodemographic characteristics, false memories assessed using DRM paradigm, neuropsychological aspects assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), depressive symptoms assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and psychosocial functioning by the Short Functioning Test (FAST). The study was carried out in accordance with international ethical guidelines (approval number on the ethics committee: 2018-0437 GPPG/HCPA). Results: The results of the DRM paradigm showed that depressed individuals presented lower performance for true memory recall (Wald χ²= 30.88; 18.40±0.88; p <0.001) and cited a smaller number of theme words (Wald χ²= 5.004; 0.54±0.11; p= 0.025) compared to healthy controls (23.49±0.79; 0.93±0.12), respectively. On the other hand, the groups showed a similar frequency for spontaneous false memories (Wald χ²= 1.828; p= 0.176). The results of the valence group interaction for true memories (Wald χ²= 4.980; p= 0.083), spontaneous false memories (Wald χ²= 0.345; p= 0.842) and critical lures (Wald χ²= 2.227; p= 0.541) were similar, controlling for sex, years of education and age. However, the analysis of effects within the subject (group and valences) demonstrated significant differences for valences in the DRM paradigm variables. Conclusions: The participants with depression performed poorly for true memories recall when compared to healthy controls. This can be attributed to low performance in the cognitive domains. Regarding the valences of true memories, there was no difference between the groups, suggesting that the content of episodic memory in individuals with depression is not affected by negative mood (mood congruence). Finally, the groups had similar performance for the spontaneous false memories

Prospective assessment of daily patterns of mood-related symptoms

Background: The Mood Rhythm Instrument (MRI) is a new self-report questionnaire that aims to assess, the presence, and timing of daily patterns of mood-related symptoms. Here, we examined the reliability of the MRI against a prospective daily investigation over the course of 15 days. As a secondary aim, we examined whether the number of items with a perceived daily pattern correlated with severity of depressive symptoms and psychological well-being. Methods: Thirty-two participants recruited from the general population were asked to prospectively fill out a daily version of the MRI (MRI-d) for 15 days. On the 16th day, they filled out the MRI, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the World Health Organization 5-item well-being index (WHO-5). Results: The MRI showed high agreement with the MRI-d, which suggests that the MRI is a valid tool to assess daily patterns of mood symptoms. The number of mood symptoms perceived as having daily peaks correlated positively with BDI scores and negatively with WHO-5 scores. Conclusions: The MRI might be a valid tool to investigate the presence of daily patterns and the timing of mood-related factors.The MRI does not seem to be influenced by recall or recency biases. Future studies should test the usefulness of this new clinical instrument in individuals with mood disorders, as well as its ability to detect changes in the daily timing of mood symptoms before and after treatment