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Cognitive Remediation and Bias Modification Strategies in Mood and Anxiety Disorders

  • Mood and Anxiety Disorders (D Iosifescu, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Cognitive impairments and biases, which are prevalent in patients with mood and anxiety disorders, can affect quality of life and functioning. Traditional treatments are only insufficiently addressing these impairments and biases. We review the cognitive impairments and biases present in these disorders as well as treatments targeting these domains.

Recent Findings

Interventions aimed at improving cognitive impairments and biases may help improve cognitive deficits and overall functioning in patients with mood and anxiety disorders. Direct comparisons of treatments for cognitive impairments or biases versus more traditional psychosocial interventions have produced diverse results.

Summary

Overall, treatments for cognitive impairments and cognitive biases warrant additional study in clinical trials. Future research should explore cognitive remediation and cognitive bias modification adjunctive to psychosocial treatments to optimize patient outcomes in mood and anxiety disorders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 580, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Alexandra K. Gold, Rebecca E. Montana, Louisa G. Sylvia, Andrew A. Nierenberg & Thilo Deckersbach

  2. Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Louisa G. Sylvia, Andrew A. Nierenberg & Thilo Deckersbach

  3. Department of Psychiatry, 149-2628, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bldg. 149, 13th St., 2nd Floor, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA

    Thilo Deckersbach

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  1. Alexandra K. Gold
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  2. Rebecca E. Montana
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  3. Louisa G. Sylvia
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  4. Andrew A. Nierenberg
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  5. Thilo Deckersbach
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Correspondence to Thilo Deckersbach.

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Ms. Gold has no competing interests to report.

Ms. Montana has no competing interests to report.

Dr. Sylvia was a shareholder in Concordant Rater Systems and has served in the past year as a consultant for United Biosource Corporation, Clintara, Bracket, and Clinical Trials Network and Institute. Dr. Sylvia receives royalties from New Harbinger. She has received grant/research support from NIMH, PCORI, AFSP, and Takeda.

Dr. Nierenberg is a consultant for the Abbott Laboratories, Alkermes, American Psychiatric Association, Appliance Computing Inc. (Mindsite), Basliea, Brain Cells, Inc., Brandeis University, Bristol Myers Squibb, Clintara, Corcept, Dey Pharmaceuticals, Dainippon Sumitomo (now Sunovion), Eli Lilly and Company, EpiQ, L.P./Mylan Inc., Forest, Genaissance, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman LaRoche, Infomedic, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Lundbeck, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Medavante, Merck, Methylation Sciences, Naurex, NeuroRx, Novartis, Otsuka, PamLabs, Parexel, Pfizer, PGx Health, Ridge Diagnostics Shire, Schering-Plough, Somerset, Sunovion, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Targacept, and Teva and consulted through the MGH Clinical Trials Network and Institute (CTNI) for Astra Zeneca, Brain Cells, Inc, Dianippon Sumitomo/Sepracor, Johnson and Johnson, Labopharm, Merck, Methylation Science, Novartis, PGx Health, Shire, Schering-Plough, Targacept, and Takeda/Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals. He receives grant/research support from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, AHRQ, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Cederroth, Cephalon, Cyberonics, Elan, Eli Lilly, Forest, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Intra-Cellular Therapies, Lichtwer Pharma, Marriott Foundation, Mylan, NIMH, PamLabs, PCORI, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Shire, Stanley Foundation, Takeda, and Wyeth-Ayerst. Honoraria include Belvoir Publishing, University of Texas Southwestern Dallas, Brandeis University, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hillside Hospital, American Drug Utilization Review, American Society for Clinical Psychopharmacology, Baystate Medical Center, Columbia University, CRICO, Dartmouth Medical School, Health New England, Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation, IMEDEX, Israel Society for Biological Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, MJ Consulting, New York State, Medscape, MBL Publishing, MGH Psychiatry Academy, National Association of Continuing Education, Physicians Postgraduate Press, SUNY Buffalo, University of Wisconsin, University of Pisa, University of Michigan, University of Miami, University of Wisconsin at Madison, World Congress of Brain Behavior and Emotion, APSARD, ISBD, SciMed, Slack Publishing and Wolters Klower Publishing ASCP, NCDEU, Rush Medical College, Yale University School of Medicine, NNDC, Nova Southeastern University, NAMI, Institute of Medicine, CME Institute, and ISCTM. He was currently or formerly on the advisory boards of Appliance Computing, Inc., Brain Cells, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, Johnson and Johnson, Takeda/Lundbeck, Targacept, and InfoMedic. He owns stock options in Appliance Computing, Inc., Brain Cells, Inc, and Medavante and has copyrights to the Clinical Positive Affect Scale and the MGH Structured Clinical Interview for the Montgomery Asberg Depression Scale exclusively licensed to the MGH Clinical Trials Network and Institute (CTNI).

Dr. Deckersbach’s research has been funded by NIH, NIMH, NARSAD, TSA, IOCDF, Tufts University, DBDAT, Cogito, and Sunovion and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. He has received honoraria, consultation fees, and/or royalties from the MGH Psychiatry Academy, BrainCells Inc., Clintara, LLC., Systems Research and Applications Corporation, Boston University, the Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, the National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Medical Society, Tufts University, NIDA, NIMH, Oxford University Press, Guilford Press, and Rutledge. He has also participated in research funded by DARPA, NIH, NIMH, NIA, AHRQ, PCORI, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, The Forest Research Institute, Shire Development Inc., Medtronic, Cyberonics, Northstar, and Takeda.

Human and Animal Rights

All reported studies/experiments with human or animal subjects performed by the authors have been previously published and complied with all applicable ethical standards (including the Helsinki Declaration and its amendments, institutional/national research committee standards, and international/national/institutional guidelines).

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Author Note

Dr. Deckersbach is a current recipient of NIMH funding (grant no. 1R44MH107065-01).

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Mood and Anxiety Disorders

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Gold, A.K., Montana, R.E., Sylvia, L.G. et al. Cognitive Remediation and Bias Modification Strategies in Mood and Anxiety Disorders. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 3, 340–349 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-016-0090-5

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