Cognitive Training for Emotion-Related Impulsivity and Rumination: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology.
• Investigating the impact of cognitive training on affective control and psychopathology.

Background:

• Inhibitory deficits are prevalent in psychopathology, linked to emotion-related impulsivity (ERI) and rumination.
• Existing cognitive remediation often neglects "hot" cognition, focusing on "cold" processes.
• This study targets "hot" affective control, crucial for managing emotional arousal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a randomized waitlist-controlled trial assessing neurobehavioral affective control training (N-ACT).
• To evaluate N-ACT's efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability in reducing rumination and ERI.
• To explore N-ACT's effects on inhibitory control and broader psychopathology symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Recruiting 80 adults with high ERI or rumination for an 8-week N-ACT intervention.
• Randomizing participants to immediate N-ACT or a waitlist control condition.
• Assessing emotion dysregulation, psychiatric symptoms, and inhibitory control at baseline and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Recruitment is scheduled for spring 2025, with data collection completion planned for fall 2025.
• Data analysis will commence after data collection is finalized.
• Funding is secured through the University of California Board of Regents and Peder Sather Foundation.

Conclusions:

• N-ACT is a novel cognitive remediation targeting ERI and rumination, key contributors to psychopathology.
• The intervention employs computerized tasks to enhance affective control processes.
• This trial aims to provide preliminary data for larger studies on N-ACT's clinical utility.