ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the characteristics of selective attention function in patients with silent cerebral in-farction (SCI) and depression, the relationship between depression, selective attention and cognitive dysfunction. Methods Eighty-two patients with SCI and 82 normal subjects were selected and evaluated by using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and Stroop color-word test (CWT). Patients with SCI were further classified into depression subgroup and no-depression subgroup based on the score of HAMD. Results The score of MoCA was lower in SCI group (23.11 ± 5.41) and was much lower in depression subgroup (20.31 ± 5.44) compared with control group (28.70 ± 2.18) (all P<0.01). Compared with control group, the reaction times of card A, B, C and Stroop interference effects (SIE) were prolonged in SCI group. The reaction time of card A, B, C and SIE were (33.25±14.10);(42.45±15.18);(104.68 ± 25.08) and (62.24 ± 21.53) in depression subgroup, respectively. The error counts of card B, C and SIE were in-creased (P<0.05) in SCI group. The error counts of card B,C and SIE were (3.59±2.14), (15.67±7.20) and (12.08±6.46) in depression subgroup, respectively. The scores of MoCA were negatively correlated with the reaction time and error counts of SIE (r=-0.429,r=-0.500,all P<0.01).The location of infarction was correlated with the score of HAMD and error counts of SIE to some degree: both of the scores were higher in patients with left infarction compared with right infarction and were higher in patients with cortex infarction compared with subcortex infarction. Conclusion The present study revealed that patients with SCI and depression have selective attention deficit which is closely correlated with the level of cognitive function.