Working Memory Training for Dysphoric Students

Depression Clinical Trial

Official title:

Working Memory Training to Decrease Depression, Anxiety and Rumination in Dysphoric Students

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02184481
• Other study ID #: Franken 5
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: July 3, 2014
• Last updated: July 8, 2014
• Start date: September 2013

Study information

• Verified date: July 2014
• Source: Erasmus Medical Center
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Netherlands: Medical Ethics Review Committee (METC)Netherlands: The Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO)
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Depression is associated with impairments in executive functions, including working memory (WM) which is needed to maintain and manipulate goal-relevant information. Due to these WM impairments depressed individuals have difficulties inhibiting and shifting from irrelevant (negative) information and updating goal relevant information. This study explored whether training WM decreases these impairments and reduces clinical symptoms of depression, anxiety and rumination. Sixty-one students with an elevated score on the BDI-II, representing a dysphoric mood state, executed a working memory training (n = 34) or placebo training (n = 27). Before and after training their depression, anxiety, rumination and working memory were assessed. Furthermore, they executed a working memory task while their pupil dilation was measured to assess their fatigue. Moreover, the investigators compared the dysphoric students with a healthy student population on all measures.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 94
• Est. primary completion date: June 2014
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 17 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• BDI 10 of higher for dysphoric group

• BDI 5 or lower for healthy control group

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Depression
• Depressive Disorder

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Working memory training

• Placebo training

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Netherlands	Erasmus University Rotterdam	Rotterdam	Zuid Holland

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Erasmus Medical Center

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Netherlands, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) score change between pre and post training	The RRS measures rumination	Pre training (baseline), post training (4 weeks after baseline, training starts 1 day after baseline)	No
Other	Spanboard task	The Spanboard task measures working memory capacity	Pre training (baseline), post training (4 weeks after baseline, training starts 1 day after baseline)	No
Other	N-back task	The n-back task was assessed while participants pupil dilation was measured with the eyetracker. The aim of this measurement was to measure fatigue.	Pre training (baseline), post training (6 weeks after baseline, training starts 1 day after baseline)	No
Primary	Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition (BDI-II) score change between pre and post measurement	Depression is measured with the BDI-II	Pre training (baseline), post training (4 weeks after baseline, training starts 1 day after baseline)	No
Secondary	State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores change from pre to post training measurement	The STAI measures state, trait and total anxiety	Pre training (baseline), post training (4 weeks after baseline, training starts 1 day after baseline)	No