Cognitive Bias Modification for Anxiety Disorders: Application and Conflict

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1588
Author(s):  
Songwei LI ◽  
Fumin FAN
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Y. F. Lau ◽  
Victoria Pile

Anxiety disorders are common and impairing in childhood and adolescence. Cognitive bias modification of interpretations (CBM-I) training aims to alter information biases associated with anxiety disorders by training the person to endorse benign, rather than negative, interpretations of ambiguous situations. With an expanding evidence base, CBM-I training in childhood and adolescence may provide a key opportunity to prevent the development of anxiety disorders, particularly by capitalizing on the inherent flexibility of the adolescent brain to make durable changes. This article augments existing data with a reanalysis of a large sample of data ( N = 387). The reanalysis highlights that CBM-I is (a) effective in altering interpretation styles; (b) that changes in mood state, although weak, are evident; and (c) tentatively, that effectiveness may vary across age in males and females. We conclude by offering further suggestions on which factors associated with protocol (e.g., multiple sessions) and training package (e.g., use of imagery) may maximize training effectiveness.


Author(s):  
Adam J. Guastella ◽  
Alice Norton ◽  
Gail A. Alvares ◽  
Yun Ju Christine Song

There are currently a range of treatments available for anxiety disorders, including pharmacological and behavior-based therapies. The most widely used medications, for which there is considerable evidence of efficacy across a range of anxiety disorders, are the serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. Benzodiazepines are also widely prescribed and show efficacy for acute anxiety, but their use in the treatment of chronic anxiety syndromes is more problematic. Many patients are not adequately covered by the available range of medications, which is driving interest in potentially new pharmacological approaches. The best established non-pharmacological treatment of anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy and several related behavioral approaches, which have been shown to be efficacious in a range of anxiety disorders. One of these related approaches is called cognitive bias modification, which aims to alter an individual’s responses to anxiety-provoking stimuli.


Author(s):  
Risa B. Weisberg ◽  
Meghan A. Gonsalves ◽  
Ramya Ramadurai ◽  
Howard Braham ◽  
Cara Fuchs ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Anita Van Zwieten ◽  
Gail A. Alvares ◽  
Adam J. Guastella

This chapter discusses novel pharmacological and cognitive approaches in the treatment of anxiety disorders. In particular, evidence is reviewed for glucocorticoids, yohimbine chloride, and D-cycloserine (DCS) as pharmacological adjuncts that augment fear extinction processes in psychotherapy, as well as cognitive bias modification (CBM) programs designed to remediate biased cognitive processes. These treatment approaches aim to capitalize on the cognitive, neurobiological, and behavioral mechanisms that underlie anxiety disorders. Novel technological approaches that aim to enhance access to anxiety treatment are also reviewed, specifically in reference to internet- and computer-based psychotherapy (ICT). Along with their proposed mechanisms of action, empirical evidence for their efficacy, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness are explored, as well as directions for future research.


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