Abstract
Cognitive difficulties constitute a core contributor to functional impairment in major depressive disorder (MDD). Cognitive remediation (CR) is a psychotherapeutic treatment for complex mental illness which employs computerized cognitive training exercises. While treatment effect is largely dependent upon engagement in training, degree of engagement is quite varied. We developed and tested a psychoeducational intervention video to investigate effects on subjective and objective engagement in computerized cognitive training exercises in MDD. Sixty-one participants with MDD were randomized into a psychoeducational or control video condition. Repeated-measure analysis of variance was used to investigate changes in subjective perception of cognitive malleability, willingness to engage in CR, and insight into cognitive problems over time. Participants were given access to computerized training exercises at home for 2 weeks following intervention to investigate behavioral engagement. The intervention did not significantly increase participants’ perceived cognitive malleability or willingness to engage in CR, nor the degree to which they independently trained on computerized cognitive training tasks, though a small effect on insight into cognitive problems was found. The sample was limited in demographic and cognitive diversity. Further research is necessary to clarify contributors of the observed effect on insight into cognitive problems. This research provides an important step in addressing a critical gap in the literature pertaining to bolstering engagement of participants with MDD in CR. This work highlights the need to continue to investigate ways of inciting engagement in computerized cognitive training for those with MDD.
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The data that support the findings of this study may be available from the corresponding author upon request.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Kassandra Cardinale for her collaborative role in filming and producing the original Psychoeducational video used in this study; as well as Matthew Campbell and Jim Perrott (of Last Universal Common Ancestor, LUCA) for their original music featured within it.
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Funds of CRB supported data collection (participant compensation) and filming/production of the psychoeducational video.
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MM and CRB designed the study. MM, LES, RLT, NVB, and SHI acquired the data under supervision of CRB. MM analyzed the data and wrote the first draft of the article under supervision of CRB. MM, LES, RLT, NVB, SHI, and CRB revised the article. All authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript.
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All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the committee of the Queen’s University Health Sciences & Affiliated Teaching Hospitals Research Ethics Board (HSREB reference: HSREB-6024507) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participants to participate in the study, as well as informed consent regarding publishing of group-level data.
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CRB was supported by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, the Queen’s University Senate Advisory Research Council, and the Pfizer Canada/Sun Life Mutual/Healthy Minds Canada Workplace Depression Award. CRB has served as a consultant for Boehringer Ingelheim, Lundbeck,and Pfizer; he has received research funds from Lundbeck, Pfizer, and Takeda; and he has received in-kind user accounts for research purposes from Scientific Brain Training PRO. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests. MM was supported by the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and Joseph-Armand Bombardier Master’s Canada Graduate Scholarship (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)).
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Milanovic, M., Simourd, L.E., Toubache, R.L. et al. The Efficacy of a Brief Psychoeducational Intervention to Improve Engagement in Computerized Cognitive Training Exercises in Major Depressive Disorder. J Cogn Enhanc 8, 21–35 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-023-00280-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-023-00280-z