A Pilot Study of Smartphone-Based Memory Bias Modification and Its Effect on Memory Bias and Depressive symptoms in an Unselected Population

Abstract

Memory bias modification (MBM) is a relatively new approach at targeting biased processing-a central cognitive factor causing and maintaining depression. In this pilot study we aimed to develop a smartphone-based autobiographical memory training, a novel form of MBM. A total of 153 unselected participants were randomly allocated to one of three experimental training conditions (positive, negative or sham memory training) conducted over a period of three days. Autobiographical memory bias and depressive scores were assessed pre-and post-training, whilst recent event recall and explicit self-referent memory bias were assessed post-training. Positive memory bias significantly increased in the positive training condition, however memory bias did not significantly differ post-training between the three conditions. Participants who received positive training recalled a positive autobiographical event more frequently compared to the other conditions. No significant difference between conditions was found in the other outcomes, including symptoms. The novel smartphone-based MBM intervention seems apt to affect autobiographical memory of emotional material. Future research should explore its possible (therapeutic) application.

Win, lose, or draw: Examining salience, reward memory, and depression with the reward positivity

“…Further, memory response biases were observed such that individuals high in depression, compared to those low in depression, were less likely to recall that a stimulus was rewarding (“win”) and more likely to recall that it was neutral (“draw”). Our results encourage the development and implementation of memory bias modification techniques that focus on positive memories (e.g., Arditte Hall et al, 2018; Dalgleish & Werner‐Seidler, 2014; Visser et al., 2020). Though the high depression and low depression groups showed different memory patterns in the pairwise comparisons, the marginal significance of the group by word type interaction suggests additional research should explore the robustness of the source memory findings.…”

A meta-analytic review of the relationship between explicit memory bias and depression: Depression features an explicit memory bias that persists beyond a depressive episode.

“…A reduced positive memory bias may help to account for decreased positive affect and anhedonia as hallmark symptoms of depression (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and emotion regulation difficulties in response to positive emotions (e.g., dampening) that maintain low positive affect (Vanderlind et al, 2020(Vanderlind et al, , 2021. In addition, this finding has implications for emerging cognitive training interventions targeting memory bias to treat symptoms of depression (Becker et al, 2015;Visser et al, 2020). That is, memory interventions may benefit from techniques facilitating the encoding and retrieval of positive events rather than a focus on negative experiences.…”

“…T. Beck & Haigh, 2014; Clark et al, 1999; Connolly et al, 2016; Goldstein et al, 2015; Hayden et al, 2013; Johnson et al, 2007). Therefore, explicit LTM bias is an important target in emerging cognitive training interventions (Becker et al, 2015; Visser et al, 2020) and therapies (Edwards, 2007; Young et al, 2003).…”

“…Indeed, explicit LTM bias is regarded as a proximal cognitive vulnerability marker of depression and not merely as a mood-dependent correlate (A. T. Beck & Haigh, 2014;Clark et al, 1999;Connolly et al, 2016;Goldstein et al, 2015;Hayden et al, 2013;Johnson et al, 2007). Therefore, explicit LTM bias is an important target in emerging cognitive training interventions (Becker et al, 2015;Visser et al, 2020) and therapies (Edwards, 2007;Young et al, 2003).…”

“Memories Warm You Up from the Inside. But They also Tear You Apart”: Editorial for the Special Issue on Memory Training for Emotional Disorders

“…Beck's and Bower's theories), CBM-Memory strengthens positive information structures in the brain and thereby offers competition to the negative schemas or networks responsible for depression. In CBM-Memory, individuals are repeatedly prompted to retrieve positive information (either learned words or autobiographical events) from memory (Hertel et al, 2017;Visser et al, 2020;Vrijsen et al, 2016Vrijsen et al, , 2019. The emotional memory training is provided via a computer or smartphone, the latter to optimize transfer to daily life.…”