Internet-delivered computerized cognitive & affective remediation training for the treatment of acute and chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: Two randomized clinical trials

More organized white matter is associated with positivity bias in older adults

On average, healthy older adults prefer positive over neutral or negative stimuli. This positivity bias is related to memory and attention processes and is linked to the function and structure of several interconnected brain areas. However, the relationship between the positivity bias and white matter integrity remains elusive. The present study examines how white matter organization relates to the degree of the positivity bias among older adults. We collected imaging and behavioral data from 25 individuals (12 females, 13 males, and a mean age of 77.32). Based on a functional memory task, we calculated a Pos-Neg score, reflecting the memory for positively valenced information over negative information, and a Pos-Neu score, reflecting the memory for positively valenced information over neutral information. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were processed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. We performed two non-parametric permutation tests to correlate whole brain white matter integrity and the Pos-Neg and Pos-Neu scores while controlling for age, sex, and years of education. We observed a statistically significant positive association between the Pos-Neu score and white matter integrity in multiple brain connections, mostly frontal. The results did not remain significant when including verbal episodic memory as an additional covariate. Our study indicates that the positivity bias in memory in older adults is associated with more organized white matter in the connections of the frontal brain. While these frontal areas are critical for memory and executive processes and have been related to pathological aging, more extensive studies are needed to fully understand their role in the positivity bias and the potential for therapeutic interventions.

Cognitive flexibility training for chronic pain: a randomized clinical study

Introduction

Previous studies suggest an association between cognitive flexibility and development of chronic pain after surgery. It is not known whether cognitive flexibility can be improved in patients with chronic pain.

Objectives

This study tested whether a neurocognitive training program results in improved cognitive flexibility and pain in patients with chronic pain.

Methods

We conducted a single-center, prospective, randomized study investigating 5-week daily neurocognitive training in patients with chronic pain. Participants (n = 145) were randomized into neurocognitive training or care as usual, and they completed assessments at baseline, posttreatment, and 3 months. The treatment group was asked to spend 35 minutes daily completing a program with tasks on cognitive flexibility, memory, attention, and speed. The primary outcome was performance on the neurocognitive performance test (NCPT). Secondary outcomes included levels of pain interference and severity.

Results

At 5 weeks, the treatment group showed greater improvements on NCPT compared with the control group (d = 0.37); effect size was smaller at 3 months (d = 0.18). The treatment group reported lower pain severity at 5 weeks (d = 0.16) and 3 months (d = 0.39) than the control group, but pain interference was only lower at 3 months (d = 0.20).

Conclusions

Outcomes suggest that using neurocognitive training to modify cognitive flexibility in patients with chronic pain may improve pain severity. This study provided effect size estimates to inform sample size calculations for randomized controlled trials to test the effectiveness of neurocognitive interventions for the prevention and treatment of chronic pain.

Efficacy and mechanisms of mobile application-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in China: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching impact, the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is increasing significantly in China. Yet access to reliable and effective psychological treatment is still limited during the pandemic. The widespread adoption of mobile technologies may provide a new way to address this gap. In this research we will develop an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based intervention delivered by mobile application and will test its usability, efficacy, and mechanism of its effects in relieving PTSD symptoms.

METHODS

A total of 147 Chinese participants with a diagnosis of PTSD according to the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) will be randomly assigned to an intervention group (app-delivered ACT), an active comparison group (app-delivered mindfulness), or a waitlist group. Participants in the intervention group or comparison group will use their respective apps for one month. Online self-report questionnaires will be used to assess the primary outcome of PTSD symptoms and the secondary outcomes symptoms of depression, symptoms of anxiety, and posttraumatic growth. The potential mediating variable to be tested is psychological flexibility and its components. These assessments will be conducted at baseline, at five times during treatment, at the end of treatment, and at 1- and 3-month follow-ups.

DISCUSSION

As far as we know, this study is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the usability, efficacy, and mechanism of an app-delivered ACT intervention for PTSD. Furthermore, the research will assess the effect of treatment in reducing dropout rates, explore effective therapeutic components, and investigate mechanisms of symptom change, which will be valuable in improving the efficacy and usability of PTSD interventions.Trial registration: ChiCTR2200058408.

Artificial Cognitive Systems Applied in Executive Function Stimulation and Rehabilitation Programs: A Systematic Review

This article presents a systematic review of studies on cognitive training programs based on artificial cognitive systems and digital technologies and their effect on executive functions. The aim has been to identify which populations have been studied, the characteristics of the implemented programs, the types of implemented cognitive systems and digital technologies, the evaluated executive functions, and the key findings of these studies. The review has been carried out following the PRISMA protocol; five databases have been selected from which 1889 records were extracted. The articles were filtered following established criteria, to give a final selection of 264 articles that have been used for the purposes of this study in the analysis phase. The findings showed that the most studied populations were school-age children and the elderly. The most studied executive functions were working memory and attentional processes, followed by inhibitory control and processing speed. Many programs were commercial, customizable, gamified, and based on classic tasks. Some more recent initiatives have begun to incorporate user-machine interfaces, robotics, and virtual reality, although studies on their effects remain scarce. The studies recognize multiple benefits of computerized neuropsychological stimulation and rehabilitation programs for executive functions in different age groups, but there is a lack of studies in specific population sectors and with more rigorous research designs.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13369-022-07292-5.

Assessment of early neurocognitive functioning increases the accuracy of predicting chronic PTSD risk

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a protracted and debilitating consequence of traumatic events. Identifying early predictors of PTSD can inform the disorder's risk stratification and prevention. We used advanced computational models to evaluate the contribution of early neurocognitive performance measures to the accuracy of predicting chronic PTSD from demographics and early clinical features. We consecutively enrolled adult trauma survivors seen in a general hospital emergency department (ED) to a 14-month long prospective panel study. Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithm evaluated the incremental contribution to 14 months PTSD risk of demographic variables, 1-month clinical variables, and concurrent neurocognitive performance. The main outcome variable was PTSD diagnosis, 14 months after ED admission, obtained by trained clinicians using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). N = 138 trauma survivors (mean age = 34.25 ± 11.73, range = 18-64; n = 73 [53%] women) were evaluated 1 month after ED admission and followed for 14 months, at which time n = 33 (24%) met PTSD diagnosis. Demographics and clinical variables yielded a discriminatory accuracy of AUC = 0.68 in classifying PTSD diagnostic status. Adding neurocognitive functioning improved the discriminatory accuracy (AUC = 0.88); the largest contribution emanating from poorer cognitive flexibility, processing speed, motor coordination, controlled and sustained attention, emotional bias, and higher response inhibition, and recall memory. Impaired cognitive functioning 1-month after trauma exposure is a significant and independent risk factor for PTSD. Evaluating cognitive performance could improve early screening and prevention.

A network analysis of posttraumatic stress symptoms among help-seeking refugees in Kenya

We analyzed the network structure of DSM-IV PTSD symptoms among 2792 help-seeking Central and East African refugees in Kenya exposed to multiple, severe traumatic events and on-going stressors. To some extent, our results reproduced structures identified among clinical populations in Europe, including strong links within traditional symptom clusters, such as between avoidance of thoughts and situations, and hypervigilance and startling. However, we found substantial differences in most central symptoms, with detachment and disinterest far less and emotional numbing and concentration problems more central in our analyses. Our networks did not reproduce the common finding of particularly low centrality of amnesia. We further noted substantive similarities in network structure, but also differences, between refugees living in an urban environment and in refugee camps. Concentration problems were most central among mainly Somali refugees at a refugee camp, and associated with amnesia and sense of foreshortened future, while emotional numbing was the most central symptom among majority Congolese refugees in Nairobi. Our findings highlight the importance of contextual and cultural factors for PTSD symptomatology, and are informative for assessment and treatment among help-seeking refugees.