Memory Deficits in Depression: Evidence Utilizing the Wechsler Memory Scale

The performance of 21 hospitalized depressed patients was compared to a matched group of 21 controls on the Wechaler Memory Scale. The depressed patients showed deficits on Mental Control, Verbal Learning, and Visual Reproduction tasks, which indicate impairment of memory functions in depression. There may be a deficit in the attention and alerting mechanism of depressed patients.