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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01628016

The Effect of Attention Bias Modification Training on Reducing Depressive Symptoms

The purpose of this study is to test whether attention bias modification training is an effective neurobehavioral therapy to improve depressive symptoms.That is whether attention bias modification training is superior to placebo in reducing depressive symptoms over 1 year after training.

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Key information

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Depression

Age range

16 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University

Changsha, Hunan, 400081, China

About this study

Attentional bias has been theorized to play a critical role in the onset and maintenance of depression. Attentional bias modification training (ABMT), an experimental paradigm that uses training to induce adaptive attentional bias, was developed to test the causal model and this has therapeutic implications in depression.To test the effect of ABMT on treatment of depressive symptoms, a randomized, double-blind, placebo and blank controlled trial is conducted in college students who are experiencing mild-to-severe symptoms of depression.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • A score of 14 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory-II

Exclusion criteria

  • a current episode of MDD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or organic mental disorder;
  • any concurrent psychotherapy;
  • any concurrent psychotropic medication.

Treatment and study plan

a word dot-probe task for training procedure

Behavioral

In the word dot-probe task for training procedure of attention bias modification, 90% of the targets appeared at the neutral word position and 10% at the sad word position.In the placebo condition, the targets appeared with equal probability in the sad (50%) and neutral (50%) word positions.All participants in ABM and placebo conditions received eight 12-min training sessions over a 2-week period.During each session, participants completed 216 word dot-probe trials.

Primary outcomes

  1. Depressive Symptoms Measured by Beck Depression Inventory-II

    Time frame: From the baseline to posttraining, 2-, 4-, 8-week, 3-, 7-month follow-ups after training

    Beck Depression Inventory-II(BDI-II) contains 21 items and rates the depressive symptoms for the past two weeks. Each question provides for a response of 0 to 3. A zero response means the depressive symptom is not present; a 1 means the symptom is present, a 2 means the symptom is moderate, and a 3 means the symptom is severe. The total BDI-II score is the sum of the individual items; total BDI-II scores can range from 0 to 63. Cutoff points developed by Beck, Steer, & Brown (1997) for the total BDI-II are: 0 to 13, nondepressed; 14 to 19, mild depression; 20 to 28, moderate depression; 29 or more, severe depression.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Anxiety and Rumination Symptoms Measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait(STAI-T) and Rumination Response Style（RRS）

    Time frame: From baseline to post-training, 2-, 4-, 8-week, 3- , 7-month follow-ups after training

    State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI-T) measures the anxiety symptoms of the individuals who often feel.It consists of 20 items and each question provides for a response of 1 to 4. A 1 response means the anxiety symptom is not present; a 2 means the symptom is present but a little, a 3 means the symptom is usually present, and a 4 means the symptom lasts all the time. The total STAI-T score is the sum of the individual items; total STAI-T scores can range from 20 to 80. The higher values represent a worse outcome.

    The RRS measures ruminative responses to depressed mood. The content of the items is related to depressive cognitions and their possible causes and consequences. The scale consists of 21items and each question provides for a response of 1 to 4. The total RRS scores can range from 21 to 84. The higher values represent a worse outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hunan Normal University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Evaluation of the Efficacy of Attentional Bias Modification Training in the Treatment of Depressive Symptoms

Important dates

Study start
2011
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Jun 26, 2012
Registry last updated
Aug 14, 2020

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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