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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT03460574

Targeting Cognitive Immunization in Depression

Research has shown that people suffering from MDD tend to maintain dysfunctional expectations despite experiences that disconfirm expectations. Recently, it has been shown that this persistence of expectations is due to maladaptive information processing involving "cognitive immunization". This experimental study aims at testing three different strategies to inhibit cognitive immunization, in order to enhance expectation change.

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Key information

Conditions

Major Depressive Disorder Depressive Disorder Depressive Disorder, Major Mental Disorders Mood Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Schoen Klinik Bad Arolsen

Bad Arolsen, Hesse, 34454, Germany

About this study

It appears adaptive to change one's expectations when continuously gaining expectation-disconfirming experiences; however, research has shown that people suffering from MDD have difficulty in changing their expectations after experiences that disconfirm expectations. Recently, the investigators have shown that this persistence of expectations is due to maladaptive information processing involving "cognitive immunization", defined as a cognitive reappraisal of expectation-disconfirming experiences in such a way that the individual's expectations are maintained. In view of psychotherapeutic interventions aiming to modify patients' dysfunctional expectations, effective strategies to inhibit cognitive immunization strategies need to be identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare different immunization-inhibiting strategies with regard to their effectivity in enhancing expectation change. For this purpose, the investigators use a standardized experimental paradigm, which was developed and validated in a previous study.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder
  • at least 18 years old
  • sufficient German language knowledge

Exclusion criteria

  • none

Treatment and study plan

Information

Behavioral

After receiving expectation-disconfirming positive performance feedback, participants receive standardized information that stresses the relevance of this experience. In particular, participants are told that the performance test they worked on is highly relevant for both professional success and personal life satisfaction.

Salience

Behavioral

After receiving expectation-disconfirming positive performance feedback, partcipants in this condition are instructed to remember how well they performed on the performance test. Using a visual analogue scale, they were asked to specify how they performed relative to the other participants.

ATTENTION

Behavioral

Before working on the performance test, participants are instructed to pay attention to the feedback they receive. In particular, they are asked to enter what would be a personally good result for them. It is supposed that this shift of attention increases the salience of the expectation-disconfirming feedback.

Control

Behavioral

This group does not receive any further intervention. Instead, participants of this group pass through the standard procedure of the EXPEC paradigm.

Primary outcomes

  1. Performance Expectations Scale - generalized

    Time frame: Directly prior to the performance test and directly after completing the performance test

    Change from Baseline to Postassessment in generalized performance expectations

Secondary outcomes

  1. Performance Expectations Scale - task-specific

    Time frame: Directly prior to the performance test and directly after completing the performance test

    Change from Baseline to Postassessment in task-specific performance expectations

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Philipps University Marburg

Other

Registry information

Official study title

How Can Change of Dysfunctional Expectations in Major Depression be Enhanced? An Experimental Study Targeting Cognitive Immunization

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Mar 9, 2018
Registry last updated
Aug 23, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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