Cognitive Bias Modification Using Mental Imagery for Depression: Developing A Novel Computerized Intervention to Change Negative Thinking Styles

Abstract

Why do some people see their glass as half-empty rather than half-full or even imagine that the glass will be filled in the future? Experimental methods can illuminate how individual differences in information processing style can profoundly impact mood or even result in disorders such as depression. A computerized cognitive bias modification intervention targeting interpretation bias in depression via positive mental imagery (CBM-I) was evaluated by investigating its impact on mental health and cognitive bias compared with a control condition. Twenty-six depressed individuals completed either positive imagery-focussed CBM-I or a control condition daily at home over one week. Outcome measures were collected pre-treatment and post-treatment and at two-week follow-up. Individuals in the positive condition demonstrated significant improvements from pre-treatment to post-treatment in depressive symptoms, cognitive bias and intrusive symptoms compared with the control condition. Improvements in depressive symptoms at two-week follow-up were at trend level. The results of this first controlled comparison of positive imagery-focussed CBM-I for depression further support the clinical potential of CBM-I and the development of a novel computerized treatment that could help patients imagine a more positive future. Broader implications concern the modification of individual differences in personality variables via their interaction with key information processing targets. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The combined cognitive bias hypothesis in depression

“…Given the maintaining role of information processing biases, it is important to consider the potential value of targeted cognitive training that can either train neural structures known to be impaired in depression (Siegle et al, 2007) or modify emotion specific biases in attention (Baert, De Raedt, Schacht, & Koster, 2010;, interpretation (Blackwell & Holmes, 2010;Holmes, Lang, & Shah, 2009;Lang, Blackwell, Harmer, Davison, & Holmes, 2011) or memory (Joormann, Hertel, LeMoult, & Gotlib, 2009;Raes et al, 2009). In general, cognitive bias modification (CBM) methodologies target specific cognitive processes by exposing participants to experimentally established contingencies during a task designed to encourage the acquisition or attenuation of an information processing bias ).…”

Understanding and treating amotivation in people with psychosis: An experimental study of the role of guided imagery

“…Previous studies (Nordin and Cumming, 2005;Lang et al, 2011) show large average effects (Cohen, 1992) for pre-post change (f=0.34) and group x time interactions (f=0.45), suggesting a total sample size in excess of n=36 to achieve 90% power, with alpha adjusted to 0.01 to take account of multiple testing (Faul et al, 2007).…”

Cognitive bias modification for depression

“…Taking into account the methodological limitations of previous studies, researchers have confirmed the value of repeated CBM-I in reducing depressive symptomatology in MDD populations [36,37]. Interestingly, Williams, Blackwell, Mackenzie, Holmes, and Andrews [38] have demonstrated the (partially) mediating effect of change in interpretation bias on the reduction of depressive symptomatology following CBM-I.…”