Comments on: The Future of Computer-assisted Cognitive Therapy http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/ Brain Fitness and Cognitive Health news Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:59:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Alvaro Fernandez http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/comment-page-1/#comment-191118 Alvaro Fernandez Sun, 28 Sep 2008 16:24:11 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/#comment-191118 Hello Nerissa, I think you are mixing things. First, research doesn't show that depressed people are more accurate than non-depressed people (the relevant comparison here). Second, cognitive therapy doesn't try to fool anyone. Third, and most important, there are dozens of published studies showing the value of cognitive therapy. Can you please share the list of references behind your suggested "more direct approach"? (to just enjoy life is a great goal...but pretty useless as the process to get there for people who need a bit more help) Hello Nerissa, I think you are mixing things. First, research doesn’t show that depressed people are more accurate than non-depressed people (the relevant comparison here). Second, cognitive therapy doesn’t try to fool anyone. Third, and most important, there are dozens of published studies showing the value of cognitive therapy. Can you please share the list of references behind your suggested “more direct approach”? (to just enjoy life is a great goal…but pretty useless as the process to get there for people who need a bit more help)

]]> By: Nerissa Belcher http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/comment-page-1/#comment-191046 Nerissa Belcher Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:12:15 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/#comment-191046 From the post: "Psychological problems result from the erroneous meanings that people attach to events." This is not literally true. Research shows depressed people are more accurate than optimistic ones. Cognitive therapy attempts to convince people the value of being less accurate by fooling them into thinking they are more accurate. A more direct approach to mental health is to not worry about accuracy and just enjoy life. From the post: “Psychological problems result from the erroneous meanings that people attach to events.” This is not literally true. Research shows depressed people are more accurate than optimistic ones. Cognitive therapy attempts to convince people the value of being less accurate by fooling them into thinking they are more accurate. A more direct approach to mental health is to not worry about accuracy and just enjoy life.

]]> By: Mike Logan http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/comment-page-1/#comment-189645 Mike Logan Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:28:04 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/#comment-189645 Hello All, Would love to see the programs being used in the computerized Tx. of depression. Thanks. Hello All,

Would love to see the programs being used in the computerized Tx. of depression. Thanks.

]]> By: cinderkeys http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/comment-page-1/#comment-185202 cinderkeys Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:29:47 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/#comment-185202 If CBT (minus GET) can reduce stress for ME patients, that has value. I'd like to see studies with much better methodology being done, though. I'd also like to know if the benefits of therapy outweigh the physical toll it takes on some ME patients just to make it to the session. Therapists, alas, generally don't make house calls. If CBT (minus GET) can reduce stress for ME patients, that has value. I’d like to see studies with much better methodology being done, though. I’d also like to know if the benefits of therapy outweigh the physical toll it takes on some ME patients just to make it to the session. Therapists, alas, generally don’t make house calls.

]]> By: Alvaro Fernandez http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/comment-page-1/#comment-184343 Alvaro Fernandez Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:23:22 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/#comment-184343 Good comment. I agree with part of it, disagree with another. Yes, it can not be said that CBT can "cure" ME or a number of other clinical conditions, simply because, to start with, many conditions are not objectively diagnosed. CBT can not be said to cure ADD, for example, it the same way that Ritalin or other drugs don't cure ADD, either. And it is also true that, for CBT to work, people need to stick to the practice so compliance is an issue-which is why I used the physical fitness analogy. Now, CBT does more than just "help them cope with the reality of living with said illnesses". Cognitive therapy can help reduce the symptoms of said illnesses in a variety of scenarios, from depression to phobias to obsessive- compulsive behavior, and in more sustainable ways (lower reincidence rates) than medication. The brain is as physical as any other organ and scientists are starting to discover the relationship between brain functions and brain structure, opening the way for research-based non-invasive interventions. In summary, I'd say that healthcare professionals would do well in adding a cognitive frame to many of their practices to enhance the lives of their patients. It is not one or the other, but how they can complement each other. Good comment. I agree with part of it, disagree with another.

Yes, it can not be said that CBT can “cure” ME or a number of other clinical conditions, simply because, to start with, many conditions are not objectively diagnosed. CBT can not be said to cure ADD, for example, it the same way that Ritalin or other drugs don’t cure ADD, either. And it is also true that, for CBT to work, people need to stick to the practice so compliance is an issue-which is why I used the physical fitness analogy.

Now, CBT does more than just “help them cope with the reality of living with said illnesses”. Cognitive therapy can help reduce the symptoms of said illnesses in a variety of scenarios, from depression to phobias to obsessive- compulsive behavior, and in more sustainable ways (lower reincidence rates) than medication. The brain is as physical as any other organ and scientists are starting to discover the relationship between brain functions and brain structure, opening the way for research-based non-invasive interventions.

In summary, I’d say that healthcare professionals would do well in adding a cognitive frame to many of their practices to enhance the lives of their patients. It is not one or the other, but how they can complement each other.

]]> By: cinderkeys http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/comment-page-1/#comment-183700 cinderkeys Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:00:50 +0000 http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/09/03/the-future-of-computerized-cognitive-therapy/#comment-183700 <blockquote><i>but its benefits extend to ... perhaps even such “physical” ailments as hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic back pain.</i></blockquote> Myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known by the unfortunate name "chronic fatigue syndrome") is a real physical illness. Research done on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on ME included subjects who don't actually have it -- that is, they experienced garden-variety fatigue due to depression, but not the crushing post-exertional malaise characteristic of true ME. CBT (along with graded exercise therapy) made some of the subjects worse (most likely the ones with true ME), and those subjects dropped out of the study. CBT had mild beneficial effects for the subjects who stayed. Researchers came to the conclusion that CBT helped people with "chronic fatigue syndrome" after <i>excluding the subjects who dropped out from the results</i> CBT is perfectly appropriate for people with physical illnesses as long as it's understood that the goal of therapy is to help them cope with the reality of living with said illnesses. Using CBT and graded exercise therapy to help "cure" people with ME, however, will do far more harm than good.

but its benefits extend to … perhaps even such “physical” ailments as hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic back pain.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known by the unfortunate name “chronic fatigue syndrome”) is a real physical illness. Research done on the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on ME included subjects who don’t actually have it — that is, they experienced garden-variety fatigue due to depression, but not the crushing post-exertional malaise characteristic of true ME. CBT (along with graded exercise therapy) made some of the subjects worse (most likely the ones with true ME), and those subjects dropped out of the study. CBT had mild beneficial effects for the subjects who stayed.

Researchers came to the conclusion that CBT helped people with “chronic fatigue syndrome” after excluding the subjects who dropped out from the results

CBT is perfectly appropriate for people with physical illnesses as long as it’s understood that the goal of therapy is to help them cope with the reality of living with said illnesses. Using CBT and graded exercise therapy to help “cure” people with ME, however, will do far more harm than good.

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