@article{ref1,
title="The impact of online brain training exercises on experiences of depression, anxiety and emotional wellbeing in a twin sample",
journal="Journal of psychiatric research",
year="2020",
author="Routledge, Kylie M. and Williams, Leanne M. and Harris, Anthony W. F. and Schofield, Peter R. and Gatt, Justine M.",
volume="134",
number="",
pages="138-149",
abstract="This study assessed the effectiveness of cognitive and emotional brain training and transfer effects to wellbeing and depression and anxiety symptoms. 352 healthy adult  twins were randomised to a training group where they were asked to play brain  training games over a 30-day period, or a waitlist control group. This study focused  on the impact of the brain training on explicit and implicit emotional cognition,  and analysed effects using both Intention-To-Treat (ITT) and Per-Protocol (PP)  approaches. Both analyses revealed significant training effects for improvement in  the explicit identification of fear expressions (ITT: p < 0.001, d = 0.33; PP  training 3 h+: p < 0.001, d = 0.55), and a reduction in implicit bias for anger  expressions amongst males (ITT: p < 0.001, d = 0.94; PP training 3 h+: p = 0.04,  d = 0.90). Female participants also showed improvements in implicit bias for happy  expressions (ITT: p = 0.003, d = 0.34; PP training 3 h+: p = 0.03, d = 0.47). Improvements resulting from training in emotional cognition did not directly improve  wellbeing, depression or anxiety symptoms. Regression modelling also suggested  training improvements in emotional cognition yielded no indirect transfer effects  for the mental health and wellbeing measures. The results suggest brain training in  healthy populations has potential for improving emotional cognition, but the  subsequent impact on improving wellbeing and mental health symptoms is still  equivocal.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-3956",
doi="10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.054",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.12.054"
}