Emotional Working Memory Training Research Articles

Aberrant cognitive empathy in individuals with elevated social anxiety and regulation with emotional working memory training

ABSTRACT Social anxiety may disrupt the empathic process, and well-regulated empathy is critical for navigating the social world. Two studies aimed to further understand empathy in the context of social anxiety. Study 1 compared individuals with elevated or normative social anxiety on a measure assessing cognitive and affective empathy for positive and negative emotions conveyed by other people (“targets”), completed under social threat. Relative to individuals with normative social anxiety, individuals with elevated social anxiety had greater cognitive empathy and no differences in affective empathy, regardless of emotion type. As greater cognitive empathy can be maladaptive, Study 2 tested whether this could be down-regulated. Individuals with elevated social anxiety underwent emotional working memory training (eWMT) for negative emotional information, or control training (CT). Effects on an empathy measure completed under social threat were assessed. Cognitive empathy for negative emotions decreased following eWMT but not CT, and this was only evident for those with higher pre-training working memory capacity. Cognitive empathy for positive emotions and affective empathy were not affected. Overall, social anxiety is associated with aberrant elevated cognitive empathy for negative and positive emotions, and the deviation in cognitive empathy for negative emotions can be regulated with eWMT for certain individuals. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12618001196235..

Can Emotional Working Memory Training Improve Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Outcomes for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) models highlight maladaptive attention as a maintaining factor of SAD, potentially negatively impacting how individuals with SAD engage with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) content in a therapist's presence. Emotional working memory training (eWMT) has been shown to improve affective attentional control. This pilot study assessed the proposed methodology for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine whether eWMT, by improving attentional control prior to internet-based CBT (iCBT), results in better CBT outcomes. The RCT would be considered feasible if the pilot study achieved rates ≥80% for eligible participants recruited, study measures completion, intervention completion, and participant retention. Results from 10 randomized participants showed rates ≥80% for recruitment of eligible participants and iCBT intervention completion. Completion of study measures, eWMT and Placebo training interventions, and participant retention were <80%. Results highlight the need to consider strategies to improve the methodology prior to the RCT.

The effects of emotional working memory training on internet use, impulsivity, risky decision-making, and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in young adults with problematic use of the internet: A preliminary randomized controlled trial study into possible mechanisms

AbstractIntroductionConsidering adverse correlates of problematic use of internet use (PUI), the present study evaluated an intervention aimed at PUI and several putative underpinnings.MethodsA randomized controlled trial study investigated the efficacy of emotional working memory training (eWMT) in improving impulsivity, risky decision-making, and cognitive emotion-regulation (CER) strategies among individuals with PUI in comparison with a placebo group. Young adults (N = 36) with PUI were either trained for 20 sessions in an n-back dual emotional task (eWMT; n = 18) or a feature-matching task (placebo; n = 18).ResultsTwenty continuous sessions of eWMT significantly improved participants' impulsivity, risky decision-making, CER, internet use and PUI symptoms in the short term, compared to the placebo condition.DiscussionThese preliminary results suggest that eWMT may constitute a promising intervention for PUI and improving cognitive and emotional functioning, and larger, longer studies are warranted.

Effects of emotional working memory training on problematic internet use, inhibition, attention, and working memory among young problematic internet users: A randomized control study

Problematic internet use (PIU) has been defined as an inability to control impulses to use the internet, and is associated with psychological, social, educational, and/or occupational problems. Considering the harmful effects of PIU, the present study evaluated a treatment intervention aimed at controlling PIU. A randomized control study investigated the effectiveness of emotional working memory training (eWMT) in improving inhibition, attention, and working memory among individuals with PIU in comparison with a placebo group. Young adults (N = 36) with PIU were either trained for 20 sessions in an n-back dual emotional task (eWMT; n = 18) or a feature matching task (placebo; n = 18). Results showed that 20 continuous sessions of eWMT significantly reduced the symptoms of PIU and improved participants’ working memory, attention, and inhibition (compared to the placebo group). These preliminary findings suggest that eWMT can be considered a promising treatment to reduce PIU by improving individuals’ cognitive and emotional functioning.

Emotional working memory training improves cognitive inhibitory abilities in individuals with borderline personality trait: A randomized parallel-group trial

BackgroundCognitive inhibition impairment is one of the causes of impulsive behaviors in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study aimed to investigate the effect of emotional working memory training (EWMT) on cognitive inhibition in individuals with a clinically significant borderline personality trait. MethodsIn a randomized, parallel-group trial, 40 individuals with borderline personality trait, were selected out of 1000 screened individuals and were randomly assigned to the experimental (N = 20) and waiting-list control (N = 20) groups based on the score on the Borderline Personality Scale and the follow-up Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of EWMT and the control group did not receive any intervention (waiting list). Participants completed the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) and Go/No-Go task Before and after the intervention. ResultsEWMT significantly reduced reaction time of incongruent trials in the SCWT and commission errors in the Go/No-Go task after the intervention only in the experimental group. Furthermore, the interference score in SCWT and commission error rate at the post-intervention time were significantly lower for the experimental vs the waitlist group. LimitationsThe single-blind design and absence of follow-up measures. ConclusionsEWMT can improve cognitive inhibition in individuals with borderline personality trait and could be used for therapeutic purposes of impulsivity behavior in BPD.

Effects of Multisession Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Stress Regulation and Emotional Working Memory: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Military Personnel

ObjectivesTop-down stress regulation, important for military operational performance and mental health, involves emotional working memory and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Multisession transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the DLPFC during working memory training has been shown to improve working memory performance. This study tested the hypothesis that combined tDCS with working memory training also improves top-down stress regulation. However, tDCS response differs between individuals. Resting-state electrophysiological brain activity was post hoc explored as a possible predictor of tDCS response. The predictive value of the ratio between slow-wave theta oscillations and fast-wave beta oscillations (theta/beta ratio) was examined, together with the previously identified tDCS response predictors age, education, and baseline working memory performance. Materials and MethodsHealthy military service members (n = 79) underwent three sessions of real or sham tDCS over the right DLPFC (anode: F4, cathode: behind C2) at 2 mA for 20 minutes during emotional working memory training (N-back task). At baseline and within a week after the tDCS training sessions, stress regulation was assessed by fear-potentiated startle responses and subjective fear in a threat-of-shock paradigm with instructed emotional downregulation. Results were analyzed in generalized linear mixed-effects models. ResultsThreat-of-shock responses and emotional working memory performance showed no significant group-level effects of the real vs sham tDCS training intervention (p > 0.07). In contrast, when considering baseline theta/beta ratios or the other tDCS response predictors, exploratory results showed a trait-dependent beneficial effect of tDCS on emotional working memory training performance during the first session (p < 0.01). ConclusionsNo evidence was found for effectivity of the tDCS training intervention to improve stress regulation in healthy military personnel. The emotional working memory training results emphasize the importance of studying the effects of tDCS in relation to individual differences. Clinical Trial RegistrationThis study was preregistered on September 16, 2019, at the Netherlands Trial Register (www.trialregister.nl) with ID: NL8028.

Effects of Emotional Working Memory Training on Internet Use, Impulsivity, Risk-Taking, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Young Adults with Internet Addiction: A Randomized Controlled Study

Effects of Emotional Working Memory Training on Internet Use, Impulsivity, Risk-Taking, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Young Adults with Internet Addiction: A Randomized Controlled Study

Emotional Working Memory Training Promotes Explicit Emotion Regulation and Implicit Negative Control

Emotional Working Memory Training Promotes Explicit Emotion Regulation and Implicit Negative Control

The Effects of Emotional Working Memory Training on Trait Anxiety.

BackgroundTrait anxiety is a pervasive tendency to attend to and experience fears and worries to a disproportionate degree, across various situations. Decreased vulnerability to trait anxiety has been linked to having higher working memory capacity and better emotion regulation; however, the relationship between these factors has not been well-established.ObjectiveThis study sought to determine if participants who undergo emotional working memory training will have significantly lower trait anxiety post-training. The study also sought to determine if emotion regulation mediated the relationship between working memory training and trait anxiety.MethodAn experimental group comprising of 49 participants underwent 20 days of computerized emotional working memory training, which involved viewing a continuous stream of emotionally-charged content on a grid, and then remembering the location and color of items presented on the grid. The control group comprised of 51 participants.ResultsParticipants of the experimental group had significantly lower trait anxiety compared to controls, post-training. Subsequent mediation analysis determined that working memory training capacity gains were significantly related to anxiety reduction as measured by form Y2 of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y2). Emotion regulation, as measured by the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), was found not to mediate between working memory capacity gains and trait anxiety reduction.ConclusionWorking memory capacity gains and reductions in levels of trait anxiety were observed following emotional working memory training. The study may therefore be useful in informing interventions targeted at improving working memory capacity, and reducing levels of trait anxiety. Moreover, it proposes for future research to further look into the mediating role of emotion regulation via the development or utilization of more comprehensive measures of emotion regulation.

The Effects of Emotional Working Memory Training on Worry Symptoms and Error-Related Negativity of Individuals with High Trait Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Study

Trait anxiety is characterized by impaired gating of threat from working memory (WM), allowing unnecessary maintenance of anxious cognitions. Improving filtering efficiency of threatening information through computerized WM training might reduce intrusive, worrisome thoughts. We randomized high-trait anxious individuals to 9 sessions of high-potency n-back (n = 19) or low-potency 1-back (n = 18) training to examine their effects on various neurocognitive indices of WM functioning and emotional symptoms. Following the interventions, multilevel modeling analyses revealed both training conditions resulted in significant improvements in attentional (Flanker), WM capacity (operation and spatial span tasks), and WM filtering efficiency (change detection task) measures, and increased N2 amplitudes. However, the high-potency training produced more favorable results at post-training, indexed by larger ERN amplitudes. We also observed significant reductions in trait anxiety and worry symptoms for the high-potency training following the intervention, although, low-potency training caught up at follow-up with comparably reduced symptoms. These results show that emotional WM training can improve neurocognitive processes of attention and WM as well as symptoms of worrying. Overall, this study encourages the development of a standalone or adjunctive cognitive intervention focused on WM for vulnerable populations with high trait anxiety or worry symptoms.

When expanding training from working memory to emotional working memory: not only improving explicit emotion regulation but also implicit negative control for anxious individuals.

The effect of working memory training (WM-T) has been found to transfer to emotional wellbeing, despite some debate on whether an affective component in training is necessary to achieve specific emotion-related benefits. These novel cognitive trainings have not yet been tested in highly anxious individuals, who have deficits in implicit and explicit emotional regulation and should be the potential beneficiaries of these trainings. We designed two types of mobile phone-based training applications: (1) WMT and (2) an emotional working memory training (EWM-T) that comprised negative face distraction. Ninety-eight participants (33, WM-T; 35, EWM-T; 30, Control group) with high trait anxiety completed the 21-day intervention or placebo program and conducted pre- and post-test procedures, including questionnaires, emotional regulation and emotional Stroop tasks alongside electroencephalogram recording. Late positive potential (LPP) in emotion regulation task and P3 in the emotional Stroop task were adopted as neutral indicators for the explicit and implicit affective regulation/control processing. Those who had received training (WM-T and EWM-T) showed enhanced explicit regulation (indexed by reduced LPP during reappraisal) compared with the control. Besides, individuals in EWM-T showed reduced behavioral attention bias and a decline of P3 in response to negative faces in an emotional Stroop task. The altered neural indicators were correlated with corresponding behavior indexes that contributed to the anxiety alleviation. The general WM-T was effective in enhancing explicit emotional regulation, while training with emotional add-in further improved implicit emotional control. (E)WM-T shows potential as a beneficial intervention for the anxiety population.

The Effectiveness of Emotional Working Memory Training on Beta Asymmetry in Frontal Regions of Two Hemispheres in People with Borderline Personality Disorder

The Effectiveness of Emotional Working Memory Training on Beta Asymmetry in Frontal Regions of Two Hemispheres in People with Borderline Personality Disorder

Emotional working memory training reduces rumination and alters the EEG microstate in anxious individuals

Rumination is an important etiological factor of anxiety pathology, with its mechanism related to the deficit of working memory. The current study examined whether working memory training (WM-T) and emotional working memory training (EWM-T) could reduce rumination in anxious individuals. The participants with high trait anxiety underwent 21 days of mobile applications-based WM-T (n = 34), EWM-T (n = 36) or placebo control (n = 36), with questionnaires, cognitive tasks, and resting electroencephalogram (EEG) as the pre-post-test indicators. The results revealed that two training groups obtained comparable operation span increases (WM-T: d = 0.53; EWM-T: d = 0.65), updating improvement (WM-T: d = 0.43; EWM-T: d = 0.60) and shifting improvement (WM-T: d = 0.49; EWM-T: d = 0.72). Furthermore, compared to the control group, the EWM-T showed significant self-reported rumination reduction (d = 0.69), increased inhibition ability (d = 0.72), as well as modification of resting EEG microstate C parameters (Duration C: d = 0.42, Coverage C: d = 0.39), which were closely related to rumination level (r ~ 0.4). The WM-T group also showed the potential to reduced self-reported rumination (d = 0.45), but with the absence of the observable inhibition improvement and resting EEG changes. The correlation analysis suggested that the emotional benefits of WM-T depending more on improved updating and shifting, and that of EWM-T depending more on improved inhibition ability. The advantage to add emotional distractions into general working memory training for targeting rumination related anxiety has been discussed.

The effect of emotional working memory training on emotional and cognitive outcomes in individuals with elevated social anxiety

BackgroundAlthough cognitive-behavioural therapy is the gold standard psychological treatment for individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD), it does not benefit everyone. Emotional working memory training (eWMT) is a promising alternative intervention. This study examined the effects of eWMT versus control training (CT) on emotional and cognitive outcomes in individuals with elevated social anxiety. MethodsForty participants with elevated social anxiety were randomly allocated to eWMT (n = 21) or CT (n = 19), each consisting of six training sessions. At pre- and post-training, participants completed: a working memory task, an impromptu speech, and self-reported measures of emotional and cognitive outcomes (anticipatory processing, peak anxiety and attentional focus during the speech, post-event processing). ResultsParticipants in both training conditions exhibited performance improvements on their respective training tasks. As expected, there was a Time x Condition interaction for peak anxiety, reflecting a decrease in peak anxiety for the eWMT condition but not the CT condition. Exploratory analyses also indicated a Time x Condition interaction for an aspect of post-event processing, reflecting a decrease in thinking about the past for the eWMT condition but not the CT condition. LimitationsAlthough the level of social anxiety of the current sample is comparable to that of samples of individuals diagnosed with SAD in the literature, participant diagnoses were not assessed in this study. ConclusionsThe findings suggest that eWMT has potential as an alternative intervention for individuals with elevated social anxiety.

A pilot randomized trial of a dual n-back emotional working memory training program for veterans with elevated PTSD symptoms

Anxiety is characterized by excessive attention to threatening information, leading to impaired working memory (WM) performance and elevated anxious thoughts. Preliminary research indicates that individuals with PTSD show particular difficulty with WM in emotional contexts (Schweizer et al., 2011). Although several studies show that computerized training can improve WM capacity for anxious individuals (Owens et al., 2013; Schweizer et al., 2011; 2013), there has been very little research on WM training for PTSD or with Veterans (Saunders et al., 2015). In a pilot randomized trial, we assigned Veterans with elevated PTSD symptoms to an online emotional WM training, either adaptive (n-back; n = 11) or a less potent training (1-back; n = 10). Overall, both groups showed significant decreases in PTSD symptoms. The n-back group showed a trend of outperforming the 1-back group in improving reexperiencing symptoms (which are likely to be associated with impaired WM functioning). This population anecdotally found the intervention quite challenging, which may be why even the less potent 1-back was still helpful. These preliminary findings justify the effort for developing new WM-focused PTSD intervention for complex, vulnerable populations, particularly as online training can improve accessibility.

基于手机APP的双维n-back训练的认知与情绪效益

<p id="C2">Audiovisual dual channel n-back training offers the ability to transfer to basic cognitive processes that are closely related to the working memory process. However, dual-channel training based on a computer is highly demanding for a training environment. Thus, it is not conducive to its application promotion. Moreover, emotional working memory training is developed to enhance the emotional control ability of individuals. Only negative material working memory training has been examined. Thus, the general problems of emotional working memory training have not been clarified. A new type of emotional dual dimension n-back training based on smartphone applications was designed in this study. The general applicability and emotional effects of emotion (both positive and negative) and neutral working memory training were examined through the design of a randomized controlled group. <p id="C102">This study developed an app based on n-back task, which is a visual single-channel with two dimensions. A total of 66 healthy college students (34 males and 32 females) participated in the experiment and were randomly divided into control, negative training, neutral training, and positive training groups. All participants were trained with their smartphones. Participants in the training groups must remember the Chinese characters and the position of the Chinese characters in the 3*3 matrix and make two independent n-back tasks on the characters and the position. In the neutral, positive, and negative training groups, the valences of Chinese characters were neutral, positive, and negative, respectively. The participants in the control group completed the digital parity task in an interface similar to a training task. Before and after the training session, participants were asked to complete the visual-spatial working memory task, running memory task, Stroop task, digital shifting task, emotion Stroop task, and a profile of mood states. <p id="C103">Short-term dual-dimension n-back training can make more progress on the visual space work memory task, running memory task, digital shifting task, and classic Stroop task than placebo training. These tasks test the working memory capacity, as well as the update, shift, and inhibit the function, and fully characterize the working memory of the whole picture. However, training based on different emotional materials did not vary greatly across the various types of transfer effects. Short-term training cannot transfer into the emotional Stroop task, which is unable to produce specific emotional control benefits. <p id="C104">The dual-dimensional n-back training app can produce a favorable basic cognitive transfer. This indicates that the cognitive training app has a wide application prospect, and the dual-dimensional training paradigm is worthy of improved employment. For the invisible emotional benefits of the emotional version of n-back training manifested that simply incorporate emotional material into the work memory task must be examined carefully in the future.

The Effectiveness of a Training Programme in Obsessive-Compulsive Patients' Behavioral Inhibition: Improving Emotional Working Memory

Our objective was to assess the impact of a two-year emotional working memory program on behavioral inhibition of obsessive-compulsive patients. Ninety-seven obsessive-compulsive patients, 40-80 years old, were in the Emotional Working Memory (EWM) group (n=57) and the Usual Tutorial (UT) group (n=40) with four evaluation moments. Intervention focused on emotional working memory and aimed to improve behavioral inhibition by Emotional Working Memory Training software. The results revealed the beneficial effects of emotional working memory training program, which improved in obsessive-compulsive patients. These findings suggest that behavioral inhibition can be improved.

Behavioral Inhibition Improvement Through an Emotional Working Memory (EWM) Training Intervention in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The study was undertaken to examine the effects of a short-term Emotional Working Memory (EWM) training program on executive reaction of time and executive functions. The sample of 20 children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was randomly assigned to a EWM training (n = 11) and an active control group (n = 9). Our study hypothesized that an increase in ADHD inattention and ADHD impulsive during the first weeks of the referral would lead to weak executive functions in the control group, but not in the EWM training group, due to the EWM intervention. The results revealed the beneficial effects of executive functions in the EWM group, but not in the control group. According to our data, executive reaction ability of time increased in the EWM training group but remained unchanged in the control group. Even a rather short intervention of 1.5h can protect children with ADHD from weak executive functions at the beginning of the referral.

404. The Effectiveness of an Emotional Working Memory Training in Borderline Personality Disorder

404. The Effectiveness of an Emotional Working Memory Training in Borderline Personality Disorder

Effectiveness of Emotional Working Memory Training in Cognitive Control Ability of Adolescents With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

اهداف مشکلات کنترل شناختی در نوجوانان مبتلا به اختلال استرس پس از سانحه، لزوم توجه بیشتر به روش‌های درمانی جدید را در این اختلال برجسته می‌کند. هدف پژوهش حاضر بررسی تأثیر آموزش حافظه‌کاری هیجانی بر کنترل شناختی نوجوانان مبتلا به اختلال استرس پس از سانحه است.مواد و روش ها به منظور انجام پژوهش، 5 نوجوان (3 دختر و 2 پسر) مبتلا به اختلال استرس پس از سانحه از یکی از مراکز آموزش کودکان کار در شهر کرج به صورت نمونه‌گیری در دسترس انتخاب شدند. تشخیص‌گذاری این افراد با استفاده از ابزارهای تشخیصی (مصاحبه بالینی ساختاریافته برای اختلال‌های محور یک و مقیاس تأثیر حوادث) صورت گرفت. افراد انتخاب‌شده به صورت انفرادی، طی 20 جلسه تحت آموزش حافظه‌کاری هیجانی قرار گرفتند. همه افراد در سه مرحله (پیش از آموزش و پس از آموزش و پیگیری) با آزمون Go/Nogo ارزیابی شدند. برای تجزیه‌وتحلیل داده‌ها از آزمون اندازه‌گیری مکرر استفاده شد.یافته ها نتایج آزمون اندازه‌گیری مکرر نشان داد آموزش حافظه‌کاری هیجانی منجر به کاهش معنادار زمان واکنش پاسخ‌های درست آزمودنی‌ها از مرحله پیش‌آزمون (M=402) تا پس‌آزمون (60/121M=) و پیگیری(80/311M=) شده است (001/60، P<0/953F=).نتیجه گیری با توجه به نتایج پژوهش حاضر می‌توان گفت آموزش حافظه‌کاری هیجانی گزینه مناسبی برای افزایش توانایی کنترل شناختی نوجوانان مبتلا به اختلال استرس پس از سانحه است. پیشنهاد می‌شود از این آموزش برای گروه‌های بالینی دیگر و با حجم بیشتر بهره گرفت.