Smartphone brain-training to help people with psychosis manage emotions
Cognitive Training for Emotion Regulation in Psychotic Disorders
A smartphone-based emotional working memory training program aimed at helping people with psychotic disorders improve control over their emotions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Georgia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136921 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would use a smartphone app that delivers short emotional working memory exercises designed to strengthen brain regions involved in emotion control. Outpatients with psychotic disorders are randomly assigned to the active training or a placebo-like control app and complete the program over about 20 days. Researchers will measure changes in emotion regulation, clinical symptoms, and brain function before and after the training. The work builds on prior brain-training research that links improved prefrontal activation with better emotion control.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with a psychotic disorder who are stable outpatients and able to use a smartphone would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who are currently in acute crisis, have severe cognitive impairment that prevents using the app, or cannot use a smartphone may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help reduce emotional reactivity and related psychotic symptoms and improve everyday functioning.
How similar studies have performed: Previous computerized cognitive training has shown promise for improving emotion regulation by targeting prefrontal brain function, though delivering emotional working-memory training via smartphone in psychosis is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
Athens, United States
- University of Georgia — Athens, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Strauss, Gregory P — University of Georgia
- Study coordinator: Strauss, Gregory P
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.