NCT03921255

Cognitive Bias Modification for Thought-Action Fusion

Developing Interpretation Training for Modifying Thought Action Fusion Associated With Obsessive-compulsive Symptoms

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 76 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

An important cognitive bias in many emotional disorders, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), is thought-action fusion (TAF). TAF describes the bias to interpret the presence of unwanted mental intrusions as morally equivalent to acting on them (TAF-M), and/or increasing the likelihood of the feared consequence occurring to either oneself (TAF-LS) or others (TAF-LO). The present study is designed to test the feasibility of a single session computerized cognitive bias modification for interpretations (CBM-I) to reduce TAF among individuals who reported obsessional intrusions. Participants will be randomized to (a) the TAF-incongruent condition (TAF-INC), designed to decrease TAF linked to obsessional thoughts, to (b) the TAF-congruent condition (TAF-CON), designed to render TAF-like interpretation of obsessional thoughts unchallenged, or to (c) a Stress Management Psychoeducation (SMP) condition, designed to provide information about stress reduction, but not target TAF directly.

Detailed description

Individuals who display at least mild obsessional and TAF symptoms will be invited to the current study. Participants will be randomized to one of the three interpretation training conditions: an TAF-INC, TAF-CON, or SMP. Before and after the training, participants will complete some self-report questionnaires and clinician administered measures. The computerized training will provide statements intended to activate the mechanisms involved in thought-action-fusion (TAF), which will almost always produce a negative outcome interpretation. It is hypothesized that through TAF-INC participants will learn alternative, more neutral, ways of interpreting the thoughts and lower the subject's TAF. The TAF-CON condition will receive the same statements as TAF-INC, but TAF-CON is designed to leave the interpretation of the scenarios unchallenged. The study will also include another comparison condition, SMP, to test if TAF-INC outperforms not only TAF-CON, but also stress reduction techniques provided in empirically supported psychological treatment. The SMP training will be similar in procedure and structure to the other two conditions, but it will provide psychoeducation about stress and stress management techniques.

Conditions

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Cognitive Bias Modification	There is support that CBM-I may work through the process of cognitive restructuring, and specifically, threat reappraisal. Threat appraisal is a tendency to overestimate the likelihood of harm (i.e., likelihood bias) and/or the negative consequences of anticipated harm (i.e., Clark \& Beck, 2010), producing avoidance, thus interfering with effectively reappraising threat, thereby creating a vicious cycle (Beck et al., 1985; Clark \& Beck, 2010). CBM-I procedures ensure that an interpretation bias is triggered by the ambiguous scenarios, and participants are then guided to solve the key word in accordance with a healthy response (Grey \& Mathews, 2000). The observed effects of CBM-I may stem from active generation of benign or positive meanings in response to ambiguous situations, where threats were previously interpreted (Beadel et al., 2014).

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-04-10
• Primary completion: 2019-12-31
• Completion: 2019-12-31
• First posted: 2019-04-19
• Last updated: 2022-01-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States