Effect of childhood trauma on cognitive function in individuals with major depressive disorder and healthy controls

Background: Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibit cognitive impairment, while childhood trauma (CT) is associated with an elevated risk of both MDD and cognitive dysfunction. The effect of CT on cognitive function in MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs) is unclear. Methods: MDD patients and HCs were enrolled between December 2013 and December 2016. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was used to assess CT. Depressive symptoms and cognitive function were assessed at baseline and after 8-week acute-phase treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in MDD patients. Results: A total of 909 people were included in the analysis. The interaction between MDD and CT had a main effect on Digit Symbol-Coding Test (DSCT), Stroop Color Test (SCT), and Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT) scores. The effect of CT on cognitive function disappeared after adjusting for MDD diagnosis and years of education. Neglect could predict poor performance on SCT and SCWT in the HC group. After acute-phase treatment with SSRIs, CT did not significantly predict changes in cognitive function or depressive symptoms. Limitations: The CTQ assessment might cause recall bias, and the cross-sectional design could not establish the causal link between CT and cognitive function. Conclusion: The effect of CT on cognitive function was modulated by MDD diagnosis and years of education. CT did not predict changes in depressive symptoms or cognitive function after acute-phase treatment with SSRIs. The direct influence of CT on cognitive function in MDD patients may be over-estimated. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02023567; registration date: December 2013.