title: Attention Bias Modification training in individuals with depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Negative attentional biases are often considered to have a causal role in the onset and maintenance of depressive symptoms. This suggests that reduction of such biases may be a plausible strategy in the treatment of depressive symptoms. The present clinical randomized controlled trial examined long-term effects of a computerized attention bias modification (ABM) procedure on individuals with elevated depressive symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind study design, 77 individuals with ongoing mild to severe symptoms of depression were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) ABM training (n = 27); 2) placebo (n = 27); 3) assessment-only (n = 23). In both the ABM and placebo conditions, participants completed 8 sessions of 216-trials (1728 in total) during a 2-week period. Assessments were conducted at pre-training and post-training (0, 2, 4, 8-week, 3, 7-month follow-ups). Change in depressive symptoms and restoration of asymptomatic level were the primary outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the ABM, but not the other two conditions, significant reductions in depressive symptoms were found at post-training and maintained during the 3-month follow-up. Importantly, more participants remained asymptomatic in the ABM condition, as compared to the other two conditions, from post-training to 7-month follow-up. ABM also significantly reduced secondary outcome measures including rumination and trait anxiety, and notably, the ABM effect on reducing depressive symptoms was mediated by rumination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generalization of the findings may be limited because the present sample included only college students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ABM effect on reducing depressive symptoms was maintained for at least 3-month duration in individuals with elevated depressive symptoms, and these results suggest that ABM may be a useful tool for the prevention of depressive symptoms. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT01628016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China. Electronic address: yangwh110@163.com.
authors.forename: Wenhui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Zhirui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: John X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D015982:Bias; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attention; Cognitive bias; Depression; Modification; Prevention