A Novel Cognitive Training Intervention for Depression

描述（由申请人提供）：这个以患者为导向的指导职业发展奖（K23）的长期目标是支持候选人在转化认知神经科学和情绪和焦虑症临床试验中的发展。这将通过一个结构化的监督研究经验和正式的指令，将重点放在（1）临床研究方法，治疗开发，生物统计学和伦理学的培训领域来实现;和（2）认知和情感神经科学。拟议研究的具体目标是进行一项概念验证研究，调查一种新的认知训练范式对改善抑郁症、认知和情感处理偏差以及神经认知的功效。这项研究将抑郁症（MDD）中一个公认的认知偏差，即工作记忆偏差，转化为一个新的干预目标。在一项双盲、随机、对照研究中，MDD受试者将接受为期6周的认知训练课程，每周3次。公共卫生迫切需要为重度抑郁症（MDD）患者开发更有效和耐受性良好的治疗方法;旨在改善MDD基础认知和情感处理异常的认知训练干预是一种有前途的新策略。在K23奖项期间获得的技能和数据以及开发的研究方法将为候选人提供实现成为情绪和焦虑障碍转化认知神经科学研究的独立研究者的长期目标所需的工具。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of this Patient-Oriented Mentored Career Development Award (K23) is to support the development of the candidate in translational cognitive neuroscience and clinical trials for mood and anxiety disorders. This will be accomplished through a structured supervised research experience and formal instruction that will focus on the training areas of (1) Clinical Research Methodology, Treatment Development, Biostatistics and Ethics; and (2) Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. The specific objective of the proposed research is to conduct a proof-of-concept study investigating the efficacy of a novel cognitive training paradigm on improving depression, cognitive and affective processing biases, and neurocognition. The proposed research translates a well established cognitive bias in major depressive disorder (MDD), working memory bias, into a novel intervention target. In a double-blind, randomized, controlled study, MDD participants will undergo 6 weeks of cognitive training sessions, with three sessions per week, There is an urgent public health need to develop more effective and well tolerated treatments for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD); cognitive training interventions aiming to modify cognitive and affective processing abnormalities underlying MDD represent a promising new strategy. The skills and data acquired and research methods developed during the K23 award period will provide the candidate with the tools required to achieve the long-term goal of becoming an independent investigator in translational cognitive neuroscience research in mood and anxiety disorders.