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DynamicBrain Inc.
Tuesday June 8, 2021
A study published this week in Nature: Scientific Reports suggests that addressing a common cognitive deficit in people with depressive symptoms may help address those symptoms. Researchers at Hebrew University, Dominican University, and Posit Science Corporation found a significant correlation between deficits in the cognitive skill of inhibitory control and depressive symptoms.
Inhibitory control is a cognitive skill that permits people to check an impulsive response and instead make a considered response more consistent with achieving their goals. Scientists believe that in people with depressive symptoms, deficits in inhibitory control can lead to sadness being triggered easily and repeatedly from information that others might ignore or suppress through inhibitory control – resulting in what is referred to as “rumination” or “brooding.”
Based on responses to a psychological questionnaire at the beginning of the study, of the 114 study participants, approximately 29% were classified as having minimal depression, 21% as having mild depression, 20% as having moderate depression, and 30% as having moderately severe to severe depression.
The study used a computerized “go-no go” task to measure inhibitory control, in which participants were presented a target image and then were presented a mix of images, in which the target was present 20 percent of the time. As each image was presented for a split second, the participant needed to tap on the keyboard, if the image was not the target, and withhold a tap, if it was the target. Measuring the error rate provided the researchers with a measure of inhibitory control.
The study found that deeper depressive symptoms were associated with greater deficits in inhibitory control – regardless of the level of depression.
Participants also were presented with images that had varied emotional content: sad, happy and neutral. Sad and neutral images resulted in worse response times.
“Often we think of mood and cognitive function as being independent from each other,” observed Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Posit Science, whose organization has pioneered computerized exercises which focus on training inhibitory control.
“These new results confirm an emerging understanding of brain health – that mood and cognitive function are both functions of brain health, and are deeply intertwined, with bi-directional relationships between cognitive performance and mental health,” Dr. Mahncke continued. “This study raises an interesting question – could improving inhibitory control through brain training improve mental health?”
Nine prior studies using exercises found in the BrainHQ application from Posit Science, provided in Canada by their Canadian partner DynamicBrain, have shown significant gains in measures of depressive symptoms across varied populations, including reducing the risk of the onset of depressive symptoms and the risk of depressive symptoms worsening in older populations, as well as the improvement of depressive symptoms in patients who had not benefited from traditional drug therapy for depression.
There are more than 100 published studies of the exercises in BrainHQ which have shown benefits, including gains in standard measures of cognition (attention, speed, memory, executive function), in standard measures of quality of life (mood, confidence and control, managing stress, health-related quality of life) and in real world activities (gait, balance, driving, work). BrainHQ is now offered in the US, without charge, as a benefit by leading national and 5-star Medicare Advantage plans and by hundreds of clinics and communities. In Canada, it is offered by the Quebec Federation of Alzheimer Societies and numerous health institutions, rehab, hearing and vision centres. Consumers can also try BrainHQ for free at https://dynamicbrain.brainhq.com.
About Posit Science
Posit Science is the leading provider of clinically proven brain fitness training. Its exercises, available in Canada in English at dynamicbrain.brainhq.com and in French globally at dynamicbrain-fr.brainhq.com, have been shown to significantly improve brain speed, attention, memory and numerous standard measures of quality of life in multiple studies published in more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in leading science and medical journals. Three public television documentaries as well as numerous stories on news programs, in national magazines, and in major newspapers have featured Posit Science’s work. The company’s science team is led by renowned neuroscientist Michael Merzenich, PhD.
About DynamicBrain
DynamicBrain is the Canadian partner of Posit Science, providing Canadians and French-speaking people around the globe with brain training and cognitive exercises that are backed by strong science, and improve a person’s quality of life through six key pillars: Attention, Memory, Brain Speed, Navigation, People Skills, and Intelligence (dynamicbrain.brainhq.com and dynamicbrain-fr.brainhq.com). DynamicBrain is passionate about health and new forms of cognitive training with a clear focus on educating the public on the vital importance of improving brain fitness as part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. (www.DynamicBrain.ca)
Contact
DynamicBrain Inc.
Frieda Fanni
frieda.fanni@dynamicbrain.ca
