The effectiveness of attention training on the prefrontal dysfunction in depression

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461790
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: KUMANO Hiroaki 早稲田大学, 人間科学学術院, 教授 (90280875)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NODA Takamasa 独立行政法人国立精神・神経医療研究センター, 精神科, 医長 (50446572) ; IMAI Shoji 名古屋学芸大, ヒューマンケア学部, 准教授 (50580635)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MORIGUCHI Yoshiya ルンドベックジャパン, 開発本部メディカルアフェアーズ部, 部長
• Research Collaborator: NISHI Yuko ; TOMITA Nozomi ; KAWASHIMA Issaku ; SASAKI Aya ; USUI Kaori
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 注意訓練 / うつ病患者 / ネガティブな反芻 / 特性不安 / 両耳分離聴課題 / 左右背外側前頭前野 / 右中側頭回

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To indicate the effectiveness of attention training (ATT) for major depression, ATT was used for 10 major depressive patients during 7 weeks, whose effects were investigated by psychological, behavioral and brain function measures. After the training, negative rumination and trait anxiety were reduced and divided attention was increased. Depressive symptoms and detached mindfulness that is distancing attentiveness were inclined to decrease and increase, respectively. Based on the correlation patterns of the changes of each variable, the increase of divided attention led to the increase of detached mindfulness, then to the decrease of depressive symptoms. Moreover, the increase of attention regulation function by ATT was shown to be associated with the increase of the blood flow of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), right DLPFC and right middle temporal gyrus.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学、行動医学