Modulating speed-accuracy strategies in major depression

• Depression is usually associated with deficits in cognitive flexibility.
• Response strategy was cued by stressing speed or accuracy in a perceptual task.
• In depression speed/accuracy strategy depended on previous trial cues.
• A flexibility deficit is shown in response strategy regulation in depression.

BackgroundDepression is associated with deficits in cognitive flexibility. The role of general slowing in modulating more specific cognitive deficits is however unclear.AimWe assessed how depression affects the capacity to strategically adapt behavior between harsh and prudent response modalities and how general and specific processes may contribute to performance deficits.MethodsPatients suffering from major depression and age- and education-matched healthy controls were asked to randomly stress either speed or accuracy during perceptual decision-making.ResultsDiffusion models showed that patients with depression kept using a less conservative strategy after a trial with speed vs. accuracy instructions. Additionally, the depression group showed a slower rate of evidence accumulation as indicated by a generally lower drift rate.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that less efficient strategic regulation of behavior in depression is due not only to general slowing, but also to more specific deficits, such as a rigid dependence on past contextual instructions. Future studies should investigate the neuro-anatomical basis of this deficit.