Cognitive Control Training for Remitted Depressed Patients

University Ghent

Status: Completed

Conditions: Major Depression in Remission

Treatments: Behavioral: Cognitive Control Training; Behavioral: Low Cognitive Load Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02407652

B/13808/01-CCT-003

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of an internet-delivered cognitive control training as a preventive intervention for remitted depressed patients.

Full description

Prospective studies have linked impaired cognitive control to increased cognitive vulnerability for future depression. Importantly, experimental studies indicate that cognitive control training can be used to reduce rumination and depressive symptomatology in MDD samples. Furthermore, studies exploring the potential of cognitive control training in at-risk undergraduate students indicate that cognitive control training has beneficial effects on rumination, an important vulnerability factor for depression. Provided that remitted depressed patients form a high-risk group for developing future depressive episodes, the current study will explore whether internet-delivered cognitive control training can be used to reduce vulnerability for future depression in remitted depressed patients. The investigators will explore effects on depressive symptomatology, (mal-)adaptive emotion regulation (directly following training and at 3 months follow-up), and indices of functioning (at 3 months follow-up).

Enrollment: 68 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 23 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• History of ≥ 1 depressive episode(s)
• Currently in stable full or partial remission (≥ 6 months)

Exclusion criteria

• Major depressive disorder (MDD; current)
• Bipolar disorder (current and/or previous)
• Psychotic disorder (current and/or previous)
• Neurological impairments (current and/or previous)
• Excessive substance abuse (current and/or previous)
• No other comorbid disorders (current)
• No ongoing psychotherapeutic treatment (maintenance treatment is allowed, but with a frequency less than once / 3 weeks)
• Use of antidepressant medication is allowed if kept at a constant level

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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68 participants in 2 patient groups

cognitive control training

Experimental group

Description:

internet-delivered, 2 weeks

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cognitive Control Training

low cognitive load training

Active Comparator group

Description:

internet-delivered, 2 weeks

Treatment:

Behavioral: Low Cognitive Load Training