Computerized Training Program Developed To Ease Anxiety in Children

Researchers develop a computer-based training program to alleviate anxiety in preadolescents.

Researchers have found a way to alleviate negative emotions in preadolescent children using a computerized and completely remote training program.

The research team analyzed the relationship between anxiety, inhibitory control, and resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) in a critical age-range for social and emotional development (ages 8 to 12 years old).

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Inhibitory control refers to the ability to willfully withhold or suppress a thought, action, or feeling, without which people would purely act on impulses.

Both cognitive and emotional factors strongly influence anxiety. Explicit influences are obsessive thought processes and ruminations, while implicit influences include negative processing bias and reduced cognitive control.

Traditional treatments for anxiety and depression include cognitive behavioral therapy and psychiatric medications, which have been successful in adults but have resulted in mixed results in children.

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For the study, the participants were divided and assigned to one of the following - a) an emotional inhibitory control training program, b) a neutral inhibitory control training program, or c) a waitlisted control, for four weeks (16 sessions).

They were then tested using cognitive, emotional, and EEG measures. The computerized inhibitory control training program's effects were evaluated using three tasks (go/no-go, flanker, and Stroop).

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Findings revealed that inhibitory control accuracy was substantially and negatively related to both anxiety and depression. While both emotional and neutral training conditions resulted in substantial reductions in anxiety, depression, and negative affect compared to the control group, emotional training showed the largest reductions.

Computerized inhibitory training helped decrease negative emotions in preadolescent children. EEG results showed the shifting of the frontal alpha asymmetry to the left after children completed an emotional version of the training. Decreased inhibitory control performance predicted higher levels of anxiety and depression, signifying that inhibitory impairments could be a risk factor for developing these conditions in children.

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Nathaniel Shanok, lead author, said, "In the current social climate of the world, internalizing conditions like anxiety and depression are becoming increasingly common in children and adolescents. Meanwhile, the availability and accessibility of computer and tablet technology also have rapidly increased."

"Providing computerized cognitive training programs to children can be a highly beneficial use of this technology for improving not only academic performance but, as seen in our study, psychological and emotional functioning during a challenging time period of development."

Nancy Aaron James, co-author, explained, "Given the predominantly adverse influence of anxiety on social, psychological and cognitive functioning; early prevention, management, and quality treatment plans are critical research areas to explore."

Previous studies have focused on adults using only self-report measures to operationalize anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, this study investigated cognitive and neurological mechanisms of childhood anxiety and depression using an objective outcome measure (resting-state EEG).

Source-Medindia