Effects of cognitive behavioural therapy on verbal learning and memory in major depression: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Major depression (MD) is often accompanied by deficits in cognitive functioning. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has beneficial effects on MD. The aim of this study was to examine whether CBT affects verbal learning and memory in patients with MD and whether CBT that emphasizes exercise during behavioural activation has additional effects on verbal performance. Ninety‐eight patients with MD were randomly assigned to CBT emphasizing either exercise during behavioural activation (CBT‐E) or CBT emphasizing pleasurable low‐energy activities (CBT‐C). A passive waiting list control group was also involved (WL). Thirty nondepressed age‐ and sex‐matched controls were included to examine potential verbal learning and memory alterations in MD at baseline. Neuropsychological measures were assessed at baseline and after 16 weeks of CBT and waiting time, respectively. Patients with MD demonstrated worse cognitive performance than healthy controls in verbal learning, recognition, and memory at baseline. After treatment, we found no improvements concerning verbal learning and memory performance compared with WL, with the exception of recognition memory. No differences were found between CBT conditions. Psychological treatments such as CBT seem to have limited influence on memory functions. Concerning recognition memory, our results contradict, in part, previous assumptions that cognitive impairments persists despite depressive symptom reduction.