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Bias-contingent attention bias modification and attention control training in treatment of PTSD: a randomized control trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2018

Amit Lazarov ,
Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez ,
Rany Abend ,
Reut Naim ,
Erel Shvil ,
Liat Helpman ,
Xi Zhu ,
Santiago Papini ,
Ariel Duroski  and
Rony Rom
...Show all authors
Amit Lazarov*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA, and School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Rany Abend
Affiliation:
Section on Developmental Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Reut Naim
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Erel Shvil
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Liat Helpman
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Xi Zhu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Santiago Papini
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Mental Health Research, TX, USA
Ariel Duroski
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Rony Rom
Affiliation:
New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Franklin R. Schneier
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
Daniel S. Pine
Affiliation:
Section on Developmental Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Yair Bar-Haim
Affiliation:
School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Yuval Neria
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Amit Lazarov, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing attention control training (ACT) and attention bias modification (ABM) in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have shown mixed results. The current RCT extends the extant literature by comparing the efficacy of ACT and a novel bias-contingent-ABM (BC-ABM), in which direction of training is contingent upon the direction of pre-treatment attention bias (AB), in a sample of civilian patients with PTSD.

Methods

Fifty treatment-seeking civilian patients with PTSD were randomly assigned to either ACT or BC-ABM. Clinician and self-report measures of PTSD and depression, as well as AB and attention bias variability (ABV), were acquired pre- and post-treatment.

Results

ACT yielded greater reductions in PTSD and depressive symptoms on both clinician-rated and self-reported measures compared with BC-ABM. The BC-ABM condition successfully shifted ABs in the intended training direction. In the ACT group, there was no significant change in ABV or AB from pre- to post-treatment.

Conclusions

The current RCT extends previous results in being the first to apply ABM that is contingent upon AB at pre-treatment. This personalized BC-ABM approach is associated with significant reductions in symptoms. However, ACT produces even greater reductions, thereby emerging as a promising treatment for PTSD.

Keywords

Attention bias modification (ABM)attention biasattention control training (ACT)posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)randomized control trial (RCT)
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 49 , Issue 14 , October 2019 , pp. 2432 - 2440
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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Footnotes

*

This work reflects equal contribution of the first two authors.

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