How do antidepressants influence memory bias in depression?

Fridaay, June 7, 2024.

Here’s the nub of the problem: Depressed folks often remember negative events more vividly than positive ones.

This cognitive bias can significantly impact their overall view of themselves and their lives.

However, a recent study suggests that antidepressants may help counteract this tendency by reducing the bias towards negative memories.

Selective Memory in Depression

Depressed people have a known tendency to selectively remember negative events, which can perpetuate their negative self-view. This bias is thought to arise because they have more detailed memories for negative events, making them easier to recall (Leal & Yassa, 2018). This can lead to a cycle where negative experiences disproportionately shape their self-perception.

Antidepressants and Memory Bias

The study found that antidepressants might work partly by reducing this bias. For individuals who respond to these medications, the drugs make them less likely to recall negative memories. This reduction in negative memory recall can enable a more balanced view of past, present, and future experiences.

Dr. Stephanie Leal, co-author of the study, noted:

“While antidepressants have been around since the 1950s, we still don’t really know how they work. They only work about 50% of the time, and users often have to go through multiple types of antidepressants to get to a place where they actually feel like the drugs are beneficial. We don’t fully understand how these drugs reduce depressive symptoms and why they are so often ineffective. That’s a big problem” (Leal & Yassa, 2018).

The Study and Its Findings

The study involved nearly 50 folks who had been taking antidepressants for at least one month. Participants underwent a memory test assessing their recall of positive, negative, and neutral memories. Results showed that those who responded to antidepressants exhibited a reduced bias towards negative memories.

Dr. Leal explained:

“How antidepressants affect cognition is a hugely understudied area of research. By measuring how antidepressants impact memory, we can use this information to better select treatments depending on people’s symptoms of depression” (Leal & Yassa, 2018).

The Role of the Hippocampus

It's believed that antidepressants help reduce the negativity bias by acting on the hippocampus, a brain region crucial to memory.

Antidepressants have been found to preserve brain cells in the hippocampus and promote the growth of new neurons. This neurogenesis might contribute to improved memory and cognitive function, helping alleviate depressive symptoms.

Final thoughts

Understanding how antidepressants influence memory can pave the way for more effective treatments. When we appreciate and engage with the cognitive biases associated with depression, such as the tendency to remember negative events more vividly, we can help folks develop a more balanced and positive outlook on life.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

REFERENCES:

Leal, S. L., & Yassa, M. A. (2018). Integrating new findings and examining clinical applications of pattern separation. Nature Neuroscience, 21(2), 163-173. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-017-0065-1