Neurocognitive and oculomotor correlates of depressive disorders in military personnel (Message 2: oculomotor markers in depressive disorders)

The main diagnostic method in psychiatry is the clinical psychopathological method. However, it does not always completely explain the complex nature of depression. This necessitates the employment of a number of additional objectifying methods, among which neurocognitive and oculomotor markers of depressive disorders have become particularly relevant in recent years. As a result of research, eye movement analysis has been shown to provide information about various aspects of the mental state, such as attention level, perception of information, and emotional responses. Changes in the trajectory and speed of eye movements can indicate mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. This makes it possible to use eye movement parameters for diagnosing mental illnesses. The purpose of the study: to investigate the characteristics of oculomotor responses in military personnel with depressive disorders under conditions of emotional and cognitive stress, as well as to identify neurocognitive and psychophysiological correlates of depressive symptoms. Materials and Methods. A total of 36 service members with depressive disorders and 41 healthy service members were examined. The study used the clinical psychopathological method, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and neurocognitive methods such as affective priming, Effort Expenditure for Reward Task, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test within the RDoC framework. During the neurocognitive testing, oculomotor reactions were recorded with the Encephalan-NEXT complex to control and analyze psychophysiological data. Results and Conclusions. The results of the integrated assessment of cognitive and oculomotor parameters within the context of RDoC domains can be compared with the symptoms of depressive disorders, as well as changes in the structures of the central nervous system. Affective priming reveals an increased sensitivity to negative information (the effect of melancholy) and difficulties processing positive stimuli (mood decline). Effort Expenditure for Reward Task allows identifying symptoms of anhedonia and reduced energy. Wisconsin Card Sorting Test assesses cognitive decline and impaired concentration (ideational inhibition). This makes it possible to improve the methods of diagnosing depressive disorders contributing to timely treatment and improvement of mental health of military personnel, as well as improving the accuracy of the diagnosis and the quality of military medical examination.