TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of a virtual voice-based coach delivering problem-solving treatment on emotional distress and brain function
T2 - a pilot RCT in depression and anxiety
AU - Kannampallil, Thomas
AU - Ajilore, Olusola A.
AU - Lv, Nan
AU - Smyth, Joshua M.
AU - Wittels, Nancy E.
AU - Ronneberg, Corina R.
AU - Kumar, Vikas
AU - Xiao, Lan
AU - Dosala, Susanth
AU - Barve, Amruta
AU - Zhang, Aifeng
AU - Tan, Kevin C.
AU - Cao, Kevin K.
AU - Patel, Charmi R.
AU - Gerber, Ben S.
AU - Johnson, Jillian A.
AU - Kringle, Emily A.
AU - Ma, Jun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Consumer-based voice assistants have the ability to deliver evidence-based treatment, but their therapeutic potential is largely unknown. In a pilot trial of a virtual voice-based coach, Lumen, delivering problem-solving treatment, adults with mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety were randomized to the Lumen intervention (n = 42) or waitlist control (n = 21). The main outcomes included changes in neural measures of emotional reactivity and cognitive control, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] symptom scores over 16 weeks. Participants were 37.8 years (SD = 12.4), 68% women, 25% Black, 24% Latino, and 11% Asian. Activation of the right dlPFC (neural region of interest in cognitive control) decreased in the intervention group but increased in the control group, with an effect size meeting the prespecified threshold for a meaningful effect (Cohen’s d = 0.3). Between-group differences in the change in activation of the left dlPFC and bilateral amygdala were observed, but were of smaller magnitude (d = 0.2). Change in right dlPFC activation was also meaningfully associated (r ≥ 0.4) with changes in self-reported problem-solving ability and avoidance in the intervention. Lumen intervention also led to decreased HADS depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress scores, with medium effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.49, 0.51, and 0.55, respectively), compared with the waitlist control group. This pilot trial showed promising effects of a novel digital mental health intervention on cognitive control using neuroimaging and depression and anxiety symptoms, providing foundational evidence for a future confirmatory study.
AB - Consumer-based voice assistants have the ability to deliver evidence-based treatment, but their therapeutic potential is largely unknown. In a pilot trial of a virtual voice-based coach, Lumen, delivering problem-solving treatment, adults with mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety were randomized to the Lumen intervention (n = 42) or waitlist control (n = 21). The main outcomes included changes in neural measures of emotional reactivity and cognitive control, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS] symptom scores over 16 weeks. Participants were 37.8 years (SD = 12.4), 68% women, 25% Black, 24% Latino, and 11% Asian. Activation of the right dlPFC (neural region of interest in cognitive control) decreased in the intervention group but increased in the control group, with an effect size meeting the prespecified threshold for a meaningful effect (Cohen’s d = 0.3). Between-group differences in the change in activation of the left dlPFC and bilateral amygdala were observed, but were of smaller magnitude (d = 0.2). Change in right dlPFC activation was also meaningfully associated (r ≥ 0.4) with changes in self-reported problem-solving ability and avoidance in the intervention. Lumen intervention also led to decreased HADS depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress scores, with medium effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.49, 0.51, and 0.55, respectively), compared with the waitlist control group. This pilot trial showed promising effects of a novel digital mental health intervention on cognitive control using neuroimaging and depression and anxiety symptoms, providing foundational evidence for a future confirmatory study.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85159157726&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41398-023-02462-x
DO - 10.1038/s41398-023-02462-x
M3 - Article
C2 - 37173334
AN - SCOPUS:85159157726
SN - 2158-3188
VL - 13
JO - Translational psychiatry
JF - Translational psychiatry
IS - 1
M1 - 166
ER -