Cross-diagnostic prediction of mental health problems from several cognitive functions.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25885079
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Clinical psychology
• Research Institution: Kansai University (2014); Rikkyo University (2013)
• Principal Investigator: MORIYA Jun 関西大学, 社会学部, 助教 (70707562)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 精神病理傾向 / 認知機能 / 不安 / うつ / 注意 / ワーキングメモリ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, I measured several cognitive functions (i.e., attentional network, attentional disengagement, and working memory capacity) at a time and revealed which functions had an effect on depression, anxiety or other psychopathological aspects. The results showed that diminished executive attention predicted high depression whereas high visual working memory capacity predicted high social anxiety. These results suggest that different cognitive functions could discriminate depression and social anxiety.
I also investigated the effects of cognitive training on psychopathological aspects. Participants were randomly assigned to working-memory or visual-search training tasks for a week. The results showed that participants with visual-search training enhanced the quality of working memory under stress.

Free Research Field

異常心理学