Cognitive Training for Emotion-Related Impulsivity and Rumination: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial
Abstract
Background: Inhibitory deficits are common in psychopathology. Emotion-related impulsivity (ERI) and rumination are general risk factors for psychiatric distress that are similarly associated with dysfunctional inhibition-particularly in affective contexts. A number of cognitive remediation procedures have been developed to improve inhibitory control; however, most remediation programs focus on "cold" cognition independent of affective processing. This pilot trial will gather preliminary evidence for a new cognitive training intervention targeting "hot" affective control (ie, inhibitory functions during elevated emotional arousal) in a transdiagnostic sample of adults who report heightened emotion dysregulation.
Objective: This manuscript describes a protocol for a pilot randomized waitlist-controlled trial to assess changes in ERI and rumination after neurobehavioral affective control training (N-ACT), an 8-week cognitive training intervention designed to improve emotional response inhibition and emotional working memory. Our primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of N-ACT in reducing rumination and ERI, which we respectively conceptualize as complementary cognitive and behavioral consequences of emotion dysregulation. Secondarily, we will examine whether N-ACT leads to improvements in inhibitory control and, more distally, psychopathology symptoms.
Methods: The final sample will comprise 80 adults who report high ERI or rumination.…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 80 participants or records.
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