Cognitive behavioral training

Cognitive behavioral training (CBTraining), sometimes referred to as structured cognitive behavioral training, (SCBT) is an organized process that uses systematic, highly-structured tasks designed to improve cognitive functions. Functions such as working memory, decision making, and attention are thought to inform whether a person defaults to an impulsive behavior or a premeditated behavior.[1] The aim of CBTraining is to affect a person's decision-making process and cause them to choose the premeditated behavior over the impulsive behavior in their everyday life.[2] Through scheduled trainings that may be up to a few hours long and may be weekly or daily over a specific set of time, the goal of CBTraining is to show that focusing on repetitive, increasingly difficult cognitive tasks can transfer those skills to other cognitive processes in your brain, leading to behavioral change.[3] There has been a recent resurgence of interest in this field with the invention of new technologies and a greater understanding of cognition in general.[3]

The roots of CBTraining lie in a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and general cognitive training. Cognitive training seeks to improve cognitive functions for the sake of improved brain processing ability.[4] The basic premise of CBT is that behavior is inextricably related to beliefs, thoughts and emotions.[5] Between those two mentalities lies the idea that in changing the way a person responds to stimulus through training, it is possible to change a person's actions.

However, the positive effects of CBTraining have been difficult to prove throughout the field of research.[6] Lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in many studies and a lack of a standardization of training methods and definitions of success make it difficult to compare studies with each other and find trends.[7] Overall, many clinical reviews conclude that initial results expressing the benefits of CBTraining may have been overestimated, but the data shows positive enough results that continued research is encouraged.[2][3][8][9]

  1. ^ Bledowski C, Kaiser J, Rahm B (December 2010). "Basic operations in working memory: contributions from functional imaging studies". Behavioural Brain Research. 214 (2): 172–9. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2010.05.041. PMID 20678984. S2CID 10918930.
  2. ^ a b Adams RC, Sedgmond J, Maizey L, Chambers CD, Lawrence NS (September 2019). "Food Addiction: Implications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Overeating". Nutrients. 11 (9): 2086. doi:10.3390/nu11092086. PMC 6770567. PMID 31487791.
  3. ^ a b c Nixon SJ, Lewis B (September 2019). "Cognitive training as a component of treatment of alcohol use disorder: A review". Neuropsychology. 33 (6): 822–841. doi:10.1037/neu0000575. PMC 7429442. PMID 31448949.
  4. ^ Lawrence BJ, Jayakody DM, Henshaw H, Ferguson MA, Eikelboom RH, Loftus AM, Friedland PL (2018-08-10). "Auditory and Cognitive Training for Cognition in Adults With Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis". Trends in Hearing. 22: 2331216518792096. doi:10.1177/2331216518792096. PMC 6088475. PMID 30092719.
  5. ^ "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy | Psychology Today". www.psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  6. ^ Simons DJ, Boot WR, Charness N, Gathercole SE, Chabris CF, Hambrick DZ, Stine-Morrow EA (October 2016). "Do "Brain-Training" Programs Work?". Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 17 (3): 103–186. doi:10.1177/1529100616661983. PMID 27697851. S2CID 13729927.
  7. ^ Harvey PD, McGurk SR, Mahncke H, Wykes T (November 2018). "Controversies in Computerized Cognitive Training". Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. 3 (11): 907–915. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.06.008. PMID 30197048.
  8. ^ Jones A, Hardman CA, Lawrence N, Field M (May 2018). "Cognitive training as a potential treatment for overweight and obesity: A critical review of the evidence". Appetite. 124: 50–67. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.032. hdl:10871/27978. PMID 28546010. S2CID 3844999.
  9. ^ Verdejo-Garcia A, Garcia-Fernandez G, Dom G (September 2019). "Cognition and addiction". Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 21 (3): 281–290. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2019.21.3/gdom. PMC 6829168. PMID 31749652.