Depression
Conditions
Keywords
Depressed mood
Brief summary
Depression is frequently characterized by patterns of inflexible, maladaptive, and ruminative thinking styles; these patterns themselves are thought to result from a combination of decreased attentional control, decreased executive functioning, and increased negative affect. Specifically, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has been hypothesized to play a central role in emotion regulation by recruiting resources necessary for executive control. Recent advances have been made in neurobehavioral training strategies as interventions for emotional disorders such as depression. Cognitive control training (CCT) uses computer-based exercises to recruit and activate prefrontal neural networks via repeated behavioral exercises, with the aim of strengthening cognitive and emotional functions. A previous study found that severely depressed participants who received CCT exhibited reduced negative affect and rumination as well as improved focus and concentration. The present study aimed to extend this line of research by employing a more stringent control group and testing the efficacy of three sessions of CCT over a two-week period in a community population with depressed mood. Forty-eight participants with high BDI-II scores were randomized to CCT or a comparison condition (Peripheral Vision Training; PVT). The investigators hypothesized that relative to a control condition (PVT), CCT would be associated with less self-reported negative mood and emotional reactivity.
Interventions
Three sessions of CCT.
Three sessions of PVT.
Sponsors
Boston University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* BU students and local community members. * At least 18 years of age. * Familiarity with a computer keyboard. * BDI-II score ≥ 17
Exclusion criteria
* BDI-II score \< 17, or \> 35
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Beck Depression Inventory | two weeks | Change score in BDI was assessed between CCT and PVT groups. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Emotional Response and Recovery Task | two weeks | We looked at the emotional responses to IAPS images between CCT and PVT groups. |
| Changes in Visual Analog Scales | two weeks | We looked at the change scores in visual analog scales (happy/sad) between CCT and PVT groups. |
| Change in Positive and Negative Affective Scale (PANAS) | two weeks | We looked at the change scores in positive and negative affectivity between CCT and PVT groups. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed