Online Cognitive Control Training for Remitted Depressed Individuals: A Replication and Extension Study

Background Remitted depressed (RMD) individuals form a risk group for developing future depressive episodes. Improving cognitive control may reduce the risk to develop novel depressive symptoms, as beneficial effects of such training were demonstrated in RMD individuals. Method The current study attempted to replicate and extend these results. In this randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03278756), 68 RMD individuals were allocated to a cognitive control training or an active control condition, each comprised of 10 homework sessions dispersed over two weeks. Primary outcome measures were depressive symptomatology and rumination. Assessment took place before and after training and at 3 and 6 month follow-up. Results This study showed training-related cognitive transfer and mixed effects on indicators of subjective cognitive functioning, depressive- and anxiety symptoms, as well as broader residual complaints. In addition, we failed to observe previously reported beneficial effects of CCT on indicators of emotion regulation and resilience. Conclusions Given the partial replication of previously reported effects of cognitive control training in RMD, further research is needed.