Computerized Executive Functions Training: The efficacy on reading performance of children with dyslexia

This study aimed to test the efficacy of a newly developed computer-based game naming computerized executive functions (CEF) task on the reading ability of children suffering from dyslexia. Forty dyslexic school students from the fourth and fifth grades were randomized to one of the experimental and control groups. Subjects of the experimental group received 12 sessions of Computerized Executive Functions Training (CEFT), while subjects of the control group played a neutral computer game throughout the 12 sessions. All participants responded to the Reading and Dyslexia Test (NEMA) as the pre- and post-test measure. Results revealed a significant improvement in the reading ability of subjects of the experimental group compared to the control group. Subjects of the experimental group indicated a greater improvement in some components of the NEMA scale including word reading, word chains reading, picture naming, text comprehension, word comprehension and letter fluency relative to the control group. CEFT had no significant effect in modifying the category fluency, phoneme elimination and rhyming components of the NEMA scale. Applying CEFT improves the reading performance of children with dyslexia by enforcing their cognitive abilities like working memory, inhibition control and cognitive flexibility which are necessary for normal reading ability.

Emotional working memory training improves cognitive inhibitory abilities in individuals with borderline personality trait: A randomized parallel-group trial

BACKGROUND

Cognitive inhibition impairment is one of the causes of impulsive behaviors in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional working memory training (EWMT) on cognitive inhibition in individuals with a clinically significant borderline personality trait.

METHODS

In a randomized, parallel-group trial, 40 individuals with borderline personality trait, were selected out of 1000 screened individuals and were randomly assigned to the experimental (N = 20) and waiting-list control (N = 20) groups based on the score on the Borderline Personality Scale and the follow-up Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of EWMT and the control group did not receive any intervention (waiting list). Participants completed the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) and Go/No-Go task Before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

EWMT significantly reduced reaction time of incongruent trials in the SCWT and commission errors in the Go/No-Go task after the intervention only in the experimental group. Furthermore, the interference score in SCWT and commission error rate at the post-intervention time were significantly lower for the experimental vs the waitlist group.

LIMITATIONS

The single-blind design and absence of follow-up measures.

CONCLUSIONS

EWMT can improve cognitive inhibition in individuals with borderline personality trait and could be used for therapeutic purposes of impulsivity behavior in BPD.

Compassion-Focused Therapy: Proof of Concept Trial on Suicidal Ideation and Cognitive Distortions in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence With PTSD

This proof of concept trial aimed to assess the pre-post differences in suicidal ideation and cognitive distortions in the compassion-focused therapy (CFT), and to compare the psychological improvement in the experimental group to a control group. A total of 42 women suffering from PTSD due to exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) were randomized to the experimental and control groups (21 per group). All participants completed the questionnaires of suicidal ideation and cognitive distortions as pretest measures. Subjects of the experimental group received 8 CFT sessions, while the controls did not receive any therapy. Then, all subjects responded to the questionnaires of suicidal ideation and cognitive distortions as the posttest measures. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures MANOVA. Subjects of the experimental group indicated a greater reduction in post-test scores of suicidal ideation and its subscales including passive suicidal ideation, preparation for suicide, and active suicidal ideation when compared to the controls. Moreover, the subjects of the experimental group indicated a greater reduction in the post-test scores of cognitive distortions than controls. These results provide support for a larger trial focusing on the efficacy of CFT on psychological outcomes of PTSD following exposure to IPV. This intervention has the potential to be deployed at higher scales for IPV-affected women with PTSD.

Group-based Compassion-focused Therapy on Experiential Avoidance, Meaning-in-life, and Sense of Coherence in Female Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence with PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The current study was carried out to investigate the effects of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on experiential avoidance, meaning-in-life, and sense of coherence (SoC) in women suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the intimate partner violence (IPV).42 women suffering from PTSD due to the IPV exposure were randomized to the two groups of experimental and control (21 per group). All participants completed the questionnaires of experiential avoidance, meaning-in-life, and SoC as pre-test measures. The experimental group received eight sessions of CFT, while the controls did not receive any treatment. After that, all subjects responded to the questionnaires of experiential avoidance, meaning-in-life, and SoC as the post-test measures. Data were analyzed using one-way repeated measures MANOVA.Subjects of the experimental group indicated a greater reduction in post-test scores of experiential avoidance, and a significant rise in the level of meaning-in-life and its subscales including the presence of meaning-in-life and search for meaning-in-life when compared to the controls. Nevertheless, there was no change in the level of SoC as a function of CFT.Applying CFT can result in reducing experiential avoidance and raising the meaning of life in women with PTSD due to IPV exposure. CFT is highly recommended to strengthen the well-being of patients with PTSD and reduce the PTSD symptoms.

Repeated transcranial direct current stimulation of dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex improves executive functions, cognitive reappraisal emotion regulation, and control over emotional processing in borderline personality disorder: A randomized, sham-controlled, parallel-group study

BACKGROUND

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is primarily characterized by deficient emotion regulation. Impaired cognitive control over negative emotions is central to emotion dysregulation in BPD. Respective executive dysfunctions are associated with hypoactivation of prefrontal regions, and consecutive alterations of fronto-limbic network functionality. Here, we investigated the effect of increasing activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with repeated transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on (1) executive dysfunctions and (2) whether improving cognitive control affects emotion dysregulation and emotional processing in BPD.

METHODS

Thirty-two patients diagnosed with BPD were randomly assigned to active stimulation (N = 16) or sham stimulation (N = 16) group in a randomized, sham-controlled, parallel-group design. They received 10 sessions of active (2 mA, 20 min, anodal left- cathodal right DLPFC) or sham tDCS over 10 days. Major executive functions, emotion regulation strategies, and emotional processing of the patients were assessed before and immediately after the intervention.

RESULTS

The active stimulation group showed a significant improvement in major executive function domains. Importantly, cognitive reappraisal strategy of emotion regulation and several factors of emotional processing involved in the control of emotion significantly improved in the active stimulation group after the intervention. Factors related to emotional expression were, however, not affected.

LIMITATIONS

The single-blind design, absence of follow-up measures, and the intrinsically limited focality of tDCS are limitations of this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing activity of the DLPFC improves executive functioning in BPD and improves ´cognitive control over negative emotions. Cognitive control interventions could be a potential, symptom-driven therapeutic approach in BPD.

EEG coherence in theta, alpha, and beta bands in frontal regions and executive functions

Executive functions are higdevel cognitive processes that make possible the formation of flexible and adaptive goal-directed behaviors and the frontal lobes regulate these functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between frontal EEG coherence in theta, alpha, and beta bands and executive functions in adults. A sample of 168 students (M_age = 25.44 years, SD = 4.52) were included in this study. EEG records were recorded at the psychology laboratory of Mohaghegh Ardabili University (Iran), then intrahemispheric and interhemispheric coherence of frontal regions were analyzed using the NeuroGuide software. The participants were asked to fill in the Adult Executive Skills Questionnaire. Correlational results showed that there is a positive relationship between executive functions and EEG coherence in theta, alpha, and beta bands in frontal regions of the left hemisphere, EEG coherence of alpha and beta bands in frontal regions of the right hemisphere and EEG coherence of alpha band between frontal regions of the two hemispheres. The results of the regression analysis also revealed that coherence of alpha, beta, and theta bands between left and right frontal regions and coherence of beta and theta bands in the left frontal regions predict executive functions. These results indicate that the common activity of frontal cortex, especially the left hemisphere, is associated with executive functions and cognitive control.

The Comparison of Experiential Avoidance, [corrected] Mindfulness and Rumination in Trauma-Exposed Individuals With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in an Iranian Sample

The aim of this study was to compare experimental avoidance, mindfulness and rumination in trauma-exposed individuals with and without PTSD in an Iranian sample. The method of the study was retrospective. The statistical population of the study composed of all people under the auspices of Committee on Relief or Martyr Foundation because of exposure to at least one traumatic event in Gilan-Gharb city (Iran) (N=1708). One hundred people, selected randomly by stratified sampling method, responded to Mississippi PTSD scale and the questionnaires of experimental avoidance, mindfulness and rumination individually. Subjects were divided into two groups of with and without PTSD based on Mississippi PTSD scale and structured clinical interview. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test was used for analyzing data. Results showed that although the mean scores of the group with PTSD were significantly higher than the group without PTSD in variables of experimental avoidance (P<0/001, F=63/8) and rumination (P<0/001, F=21/34), the mean scores of the group with PTSD were significantly lower than the group without PTSD in the overall score of mindfulness (P<0/05, F=6/64) and variables of observing (P<0/05, F=8/27) and action description (P<0/05, F=9/19). These results show that the experimental avoidance and rumination are as the risk factors and mindfulness as the protective factor PTSD in people faced with trauma.

The Relation of Marital Adjustment and Family Functions With Quality of Life in Women

Given the immense importance of marital relationships in the quality of life, this research was conducted in order to investigate the relationships between marital adjustment and family functions with quality of life in women. The design of the current study was correlational. Seven hundred and thirty women were selected randomly among all women living in the province of Western Azerbaijan (Iran) and participated in this study. The sample responded to the Family Assessment Device, Dyadic Adjustment scale and Quality of Life questionnaire, individually in their homes. Collected data were analyzed by Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression tests. The results showed that all dimensions of family functions and dyadic adjustment were positively correlated with quality of life in women. Results of multiple regression also revealed that 33 percent of total quality of life can be explained by family functions and 24 percent of this variable can be explained by dyadic adjustment. Our study demonstrated that women’s quality of life was affected by family functions and marital adjustment in family.

The Relationship between Behavioral Activation/Inhibition Systems (BAS/BIS) and Bullying/ Victimization Behaviors among Male Adolescents

OBJECTIVE

This research was conducted to investigate the relationship between behavioral activation-inhibition systems and bullying-victimization behaviors among adolescents.

METHOD

This was a correlational and cross-sectional study. Two hundred and thirty school boys were selected randomly by multistage cluster sampling method, and participated in this research. This sample responded to a demographic questionnaire, the Revised Olweus Bully/ Victim questionnaire and the child version of behavioral inhibition/activation systems Scale in their classrooms and in the presence of the researcher. The collected data were analyzed by Pearson's correlation and multiple regressions.

RESULT

The results showed that bullying and victimization were correlated with both behavioral activation and behavioral inhibition systems (p < 0.01). The results also showed that 18% of the variance in victimization and 31% of the variance in bullying were explained by behavioral inhibition and behavioral activation systems respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study implied that BAS and BIS may play a role in the manifestation of bullying in adolescents.

Effect of cognitive processing therapy and holographic reprocessing on reduction of posttraumatic cognitions in students exposed to trauma

OBJECTIVE

This research was conducted to examine the effect of cognitive processing therapy and holographic reprocessing on the reduction of posttraumatic cognitions in students exposed to trauma.

METHOD

This was an experimental study with spread pretest-posttest randomized groups design. Statistical society of this research consisted of male freshman, junior and senior high school students of Uremia (N=10286). Utilizing Traumatic Events Screening Inventory, and SCL-90 R on 1000 randomly selected high school students, 129 students were recognized as having experienced traumatic events. Of the subjects, 60 were selected randomly. Then, clinical interview was conducted, and the selected sample was randomly assigned in to three groups of cognitive processing therapy, holographic reprocessing and control. These groups responded to Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory in pretest and post test. Differences of pre-post test scores were analyzed using one way ANOVA and Scheffe test.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated significant differences between the three groups in total score of the Posttraumatic Cognition Inventory. Difference was also observed in negative cognitions on self and self-blame dimensions. Furthermore, these two therapeutic methods were equally effective in the reduction of posttraumatic cognitions.

CONCLUSION

It appears that cognitive processing therapy and holographic reprocessing which had been originally developed and tested for sexually assaulted females, can also be applied for the victims of other traumatic events, particularly adolescents.