Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique
IntroductionThe Attention Training Technique (ATT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention in Metacogntive Therapy (MCT) and aims at reducing maladaptive processes by strengthening attentional flexibility. ATT has demonstrated efficacy in treating depression on a clinical level. Here, we evaluated ATT a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1479283/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849705548137627648 |
|---|---|
| author | Torben Müller Svenja Krug Özlem Kayali Erik Leichter Niklas Jahn Lotta Winter Tillmann H. C. Krüger Tillmann H. C. Krüger Tillmann H. C. Krüger Kai G. Kahl Christopher Sinke Christopher Sinke Ivo Heitland |
| author_facet | Torben Müller Svenja Krug Özlem Kayali Erik Leichter Niklas Jahn Lotta Winter Tillmann H. C. Krüger Tillmann H. C. Krüger Tillmann H. C. Krüger Kai G. Kahl Christopher Sinke Christopher Sinke Ivo Heitland |
| author_sort | Torben Müller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe Attention Training Technique (ATT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention in Metacogntive Therapy (MCT) and aims at reducing maladaptive processes by strengthening attentional flexibility. ATT has demonstrated efficacy in treating depression on a clinical level. Here, we evaluated ATT at the neural level. We examined functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN).Method48 individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 51 healthy controls (HC) participated in a resting-state (rs) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment. The participants received either one week of ATT or a sham intervention. Rs-fMRI scans before and after treatment were compared using seed-to-voxel analysis.ResultsThe 2x2x2 analysis did not reach significance. Nevertheless, a resting-state connectivity effect was found on the basis of a posttest at the second measurement time point in MDD. After one week, MDD patients who had received ATT intervention presented lower functional connectivity between the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the bilateral middle frontal gyrus (MFG) as well as between the right PCC and the left MFG compared to the MDD patients in the sham group. In HC we observed higher rsFC in spatially close but not the same brain regions under the same experimental condition.ConclusionWe found a first hint of a change at the neural level on the basis of ATT. Whether the changes in rsFC found here indicate an improvement in the flexible shift of attentional focus due to ATT needs to be investigated in further research paradigms. Further experiments have to show whether this change in functional connectivity can be used as a specific outcome measure of ATT treatment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7f6c2ca9c2d24a53a06f9f5cb830dd3d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-7f6c2ca9c2d24a53a06f9f5cb830dd3d2025-08-20T03:16:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-03-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.14792831479283Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training techniqueTorben Müller0Svenja Krug1Özlem Kayali2Erik Leichter3Niklas Jahn4Lotta Winter5Tillmann H. C. Krüger6Tillmann H. C. Krüger7Tillmann H. C. Krüger8Kai G. Kahl9Christopher Sinke10Christopher Sinke11Ivo Heitland12Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDivision of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyCenter for Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDivision of Clinical Psychology and Sexual Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyIntroductionThe Attention Training Technique (ATT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention in Metacogntive Therapy (MCT) and aims at reducing maladaptive processes by strengthening attentional flexibility. ATT has demonstrated efficacy in treating depression on a clinical level. Here, we evaluated ATT at the neural level. We examined functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode network (DMN).Method48 individuals diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and 51 healthy controls (HC) participated in a resting-state (rs) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment. The participants received either one week of ATT or a sham intervention. Rs-fMRI scans before and after treatment were compared using seed-to-voxel analysis.ResultsThe 2x2x2 analysis did not reach significance. Nevertheless, a resting-state connectivity effect was found on the basis of a posttest at the second measurement time point in MDD. After one week, MDD patients who had received ATT intervention presented lower functional connectivity between the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the bilateral middle frontal gyrus (MFG) as well as between the right PCC and the left MFG compared to the MDD patients in the sham group. In HC we observed higher rsFC in spatially close but not the same brain regions under the same experimental condition.ConclusionWe found a first hint of a change at the neural level on the basis of ATT. Whether the changes in rsFC found here indicate an improvement in the flexible shift of attentional focus due to ATT needs to be investigated in further research paradigms. Further experiments have to show whether this change in functional connectivity can be used as a specific outcome measure of ATT treatment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1479283/fullattention training techniquemajor depressive disorderdefault mode networkresting-state functional connectivityposterior cingulate cortexmiddle frontal gyrus |
| spellingShingle | Torben Müller Svenja Krug Özlem Kayali Erik Leichter Niklas Jahn Lotta Winter Tillmann H. C. Krüger Tillmann H. C. Krüger Tillmann H. C. Krüger Kai G. Kahl Christopher Sinke Christopher Sinke Ivo Heitland Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique Frontiers in Psychiatry attention training technique major depressive disorder default mode network resting-state functional connectivity posterior cingulate cortex middle frontal gyrus |
| title | Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique |
| title_full | Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique |
| title_fullStr | Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique |
| title_full_unstemmed | Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique |
| title_short | Initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention: altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique |
| title_sort | initial evidence for neural correlates following a therapeutic intervention altered resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network following attention training technique |
| topic | attention training technique major depressive disorder default mode network resting-state functional connectivity posterior cingulate cortex middle frontal gyrus |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1479283/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT torbenmuller initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT svenjakrug initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT ozlemkayali initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT erikleichter initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT niklasjahn initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT lottawinter initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT tillmannhckruger initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT tillmannhckruger initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT tillmannhckruger initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT kaigkahl initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT christophersinke initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT christophersinke initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique AT ivoheitland initialevidenceforneuralcorrelatesfollowingatherapeuticinterventionalteredrestingstatefunctionalconnectivityinthedefaultmodenetworkfollowingattentiontrainingtechnique |