NIMH research to further explore computer game to treat irritability in children

Following positive results from an open pilot study, researchers from the NIMH plan to conduct a larger study to confirm efficacy of a computer game for irritability in children.

“The training may be calming irritability by altering circuit activity underlying interpretive biases and — hopefully — reducing anger-based reactions like outbursts,” study researcher Ellen Leibenluft, MD, of the Emotion and Development Branch at the NIMH, said in a press release.

To assess efficacy of interpretation bias training for child irritability, Leibenluft and colleagues had 63 youth with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) and 26 healthy controls make happy vs. angry judgements of faces that varied along a happy to angry continuum. Researchers compared balance points, conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of active vs. sham balance-point training among 19 controls, and an open, active balance-point training in 14 participants with DMDD. Functional MRI was conducted among 10 youth with DMDD during a face-emotion processing task.

Youth with DMDD were more likely to classify ambiguous faces as angry rather than happy, compared with healthy youth.

Among all youth, active training was associated with an increased tendency to judge ambiguous faces as happy.

Analysis suggested active training may decrease irritability and changes in activation of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex among youth with DMDD, according to researchers.

Leibenluft and colleagues have launched a larger, more controlled study to further confirm efficacy of interpretation bias training for child irritability. In addition, they will assess cognitive behavioral therapy among youth with DMDD.

Reference:

Stoddard J, et al. J Child Adoelsc Psychopharmacol. 2016;doi:10.1089/cap.2015.0100.

Wiggins JL, et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2016;doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15060833.