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Memory model with the different components of the working memory and the interactions between the short-term and the long-term memory, based on (Baddeley, 2003).
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Background: Burnout is characterized by deficiencies in attention and several components of the working memory, of which the lingering effects of impaired attention and executive functions are the most frustrating. We hypothesized that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can im...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... consists of three components: (1) exhaustion at the physical level (energy loss, fatigue, weakness, physical and psychosomatic complaints), the mental level (negative behavior towards oneself, work, or life in general), or the emotional level (feelings of being trapped in a situation, helplessness, or hopelessness); (2) depersonalization or alienation towards the actual work, towards patients or pupils, etc. ( Demerouti et al., 2001;Schaufeli & Enzmann, 1998); (3) and reduced professional performance, which can be attributed to depersonalization and alienation (Demerouti et al., 2001). Since the beginning of 2011 Patients with burnout are impaired in one or more of the four components of working memory, i.e. the central executive, the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad and/or the episodic buffer (see Figure 1) (Baddeley, 2000;Deligkaris et al., 2014). The working memory, or the short-term memory, refers to a limited-capacity cognitive system that allows the temporary storage and manipulation of information from different modalities, provided by the sensory memory, that are necessary for complex tasks. ...
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This study evaluated the impact on student and staff well-being of a mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioral coping program, Be REAL (Resilient Attitudes & Living), delivered by campus staff using a task-sharing approach. The program was adapted for online delivery during COVID19. Study participants included 325 undergraduate students and 100 staff...
Background: Burnout is characterized by deficiencies in attention and several components of the working memory. It has been shown that cognitive behavioral therapy can have a positive effect on burnout and depressive symptoms, however, the lingering effects of impaired attention and executive functions are the most frustrating. We hypothesized that...
Citations
... The obtained EEG data were processed in MATLAB 2020B (TheMathWorks) using the EEGLAB2020.1 (SCCN) software package. To establish the effects of taVNS mental and emotional state, cognitive activity we used a special software based on an algorithm of Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) and have calculated spectral power (SP, μV 2 ) across all segments of EEG in the following frequency bands from 0.2 to 45 Hz: delta (δ) (1-4 Hz), low theta (θ1) (4,1-5,86 Hz), high theta (θ2) (6,05-7,42 Hz), low alpha (α1) (7,62-9,38 Hz), middle alpha (α2) 9,57-10,74 Hz, upper alpha (α3) (10,94-12,89 Hz), low beta (ß1) (13,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)22 Hz), upper beta (ß2) (20,12-30,0 Hz), gamma (γ) (from 30 Hz). ...
Abstract. Vagus nerve stimulation as a modern effective neuromodulation method produces therapeutic effects for treating psychiatric disorders, neuralgia, heart failure, and others. Auricular vagus nerve stimulation reduces anxiety, alleviates stress and emotional burnout, and improves cognitive function. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) and sham stimulation (SHAM) on emotional state, and emotional burnout and reveal a causal relation between taVNS and a related cognitive function. 6 right-handed male volunteers aged 18-22 years (Mage= 18.00) participated in the taVNS study. 5 right-handed male volunteers aged 18-22 years (Mage= 18.00) participated in SHAM study. We used the combination of pleasant meditative classical music and a slow bi-polar wave (0.1-0.2 Hz) of electrical non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for 5 minutes. The set of 4 VNS was performed at intervals of 3 days. EEG was registered during the rest state before and after taVNS (3 min, closed eyes condition). To measure the severity of emotional burnout, we used the 22-items Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). To determine the development of short-term memory we used 2 computer subtests. taVNS attenuated emotional burnout (the depersonalization and reduction of personal achievements). The results of the test indicate the improving effect of the set of VNS on short-term memory. Changes in the psychoemotional state of the respondents accompanied increases in the ratio of beta /alpha rhythms, the theta-Fz/alpha-Pz ratio that reflects an enhancement of the activation level, and the amount of brain resources involved in processing the perceived information. The observed increase in the power of the alpha rhythm may relate to improving of mental processes and internally oriented attention in creative activities. A higher left frontal activity under the cognitive test points to a positive emotional attitude toward the task. The detected focus of beta, gamma, and theta activities in the vertex (Cz) reflected the effect of taVNS on learning at the level of the sensorimotor cortex. Activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reflects the taVNS effects on the attention processes. The increase in the theta activity in the left occipital cortex indicated the involvement of the visual cortex. The obtained data suggest that the taVNS have prolonged beneficial effects on emotional state and stimulating effect on the brain processes, enhancement of the cognitive process.
Keywords. Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Emotional Burnout, Cognition, Short-term Memory, Attention.
... Six studies (35.29%) reported numerical data about adverse events [30,35,36,38,41,42]. One study reported that one participant developed seizure after 4 sessions of rTMS stimulation [41]. ...
... One study reported that one participant developed seizure after 4 sessions of rTMS stimulation [41]. Common side effects were reported in the remaining studies including headache, scalp pain, skin redness, and itching in either NIBS or sham NIBS intervention group [30,35,36,38,42]. ...
Objectives
This review investigates the efficacy and safety of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) combined with psychosocial intervention on depressive symptoms.
Materials and methods
We systematically searched five electronic databases from their inception to June 2021: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Medline. Randomized or non-randomized clinical trials in which NIBS plus psychosocial intervention was compared to control conditions in people with depressive symptoms were included.
Results
A total of 17 eligible studies with 660 participants were included. The meta-analysis results showed that NIBS combined with psychosocial therapy had a positive effect on moderate to severe depression ([SMD = − 0.46, 95%CI (− 0.90, − 0.02), I 2 = 73%, p < .01]), but did not significantly improve minimal to mild depression ([SMD = − 0.12, 95%CI (− 0.42, 0.18), I 2 = 0%, p = .63]). Compared with NIBS alone, the combination treatment had a significantly greater effect in alleviating depressive symptoms ([SMD = − 0.84, 95%CI (− 1.25, − 0.42), I 2 = 0%, p = .93]). However, our results suggested that the pooled effect size of ameliorating depression of NIBS plus psychosocial intervention had no significant difference compared with the combination of sham NIBS [SMD = − 0.12, 95%CI (− 0.31, 0.07), I 2 = 0%, p = .60] and psychosocial intervention alone [SMD = − 0.97, 95%CI (− 2.32, 0.38), I 2 = 72%, p = .01].
Conclusion
NIBS when combined with psychosocial intervention has a significant positive effect in alleviating moderately to severely depressive symptoms. Further well-designed studies of NIBS combined with psychosocial intervention on depression should be carried out to consolidate the conclusions and explore the in-depth underlying mechanism.
Background
Exhaustion due to persistent non-traumatic stress (ENTS) is a significant health problem with substantial personal, social, and economic impact. While there are increasing studies of ENTS, there is no international agreement on how it should be diagnosed and treated. This scoping review aimed to map definitions, diagnoses, treatments, outcome measures, and outcomes in psychological treatment studies of ENTS. A further aim was to assess the quality of the treatments and map what change processes are described within ENTS interventions.
Methods
A PRISMA-guided scoping review of psychological treatment studies delivered in a clinical setting for ENTS was conducted using the databases of PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL.
Results
Of the 60 studies included, the majority (87%) stemmed from Europe. The most recurrent term for ENTS was burnout, and the diagnosis most often utilized was exhaustion disorder. Several treatments were reported, the most frequent being cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (68%). Statistically significant outcomes relevant to ENTS were reported in 65% ( n = 39) of the studies, with effect sizes between 0.13 and 1.80. In addition, 28% of the treatments were rated as high quality. The most frequent change processes described were dysfunctional sleep, avoidance, behavioral activation, irrational thoughts and beliefs, worry, perceived competence/positive management, psychological flexibility, and recuperation.
Conclusions
While several treatments based on CBT show promising results for ENTS, there do not seem to be any uniformly established methods, theoretical models, or change processes. Instead of adopting a monocausal, syndromal, and potentially bio-reductionist perspective on ENTS, a process-based approach to treatment is encouraged.
Attempts to enhance human memory and learning ability have a long tradition in science. This topic has recently gained substantial attention because of the increasing percentage of older individuals worldwide and the predicted rise of age-associated cognitive decline in brain functions. Transcranial brain stimulation methods, such as transcranial magnetic (TMS) and transcranial electric (tES) stimulation, have been extensively used in an effort to improve cognitive functions in humans.
Here we summarize the available data on low-intensity tES for this purpose, in comparison to repetitive TMS and some pharmacological agents, such as caffeine and nicotine. There is no single area in the brain stimulation field in which only positive outcomes have been reported. For self-directed tES devices, how to restrict variability with regard to efficacy is an essential aspect of device design and function. As with any technique, reproducible outcomes depend on the equipment and how well this is matched to the experience and skill of the operator. For self-administered non-invasive brain stimulation, this requires device designs that rigorously incorporate human operator factors. The wide parameter space of non-invasive brain stimulation, including dose (e.g., duration, intensity (current density), number of repetitions), inclusion/exclusion (e.g., subject’s age), and homeostatic effects, administration of tasks before and during stimulation, and, most importantly, placebo or nocebo effects, have to be taken into account. The outcomes of stimulation are expected to depend on these parameters and should be strictly controlled. The consensus among experts is that low-intensity tES is safe as long as tested and accepted protocols (including, for example, dose, inclusion/exclusion) are followed and devices are used which follow established engineering risk-management procedures. Devices and protocols that allow stimulation outside these parameters cannot claim to be “safe” where they are applying stimulation beyond that examined in published studies that also investigated potential side effects.
Brain stimulation devices marketed for consumer use are distinct from medical devices because they do not make medical claims and are therefore not necessarily subject to the same level of regulation as medical devices (i.e., by government agencies tasked with regulating medical devices). Manufacturers must follow ethical and best practices in marketing tES stimulators, including not misleading users by referencing effects from human trials using devices and protocols not similar to theirs.
Background: Burnout is characterized by deficiencies in attention and several components of the working memory. It has been shown that cognitive behavioral therapy can have a positive effect on burnout and depressive symptoms, however, the lingering effects of impaired attention and executive functions are the most frustrating. We hypothesized that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can improve the executive control of attention and possibly several other components of working memory in patients with burnout.
Methods: This was a randomized double-blind sham-controlled pilot study with two groups. Patients with burnout received three weeks of daily sessions (15 sessions in total) of atDCS or sham stimulation in addition to three weekly sessions of standard behavioral therapy. The primary outcome measure was attention and the central executive of the working memory. Secondary, the effect of atDCS was measured on other components of working memory, on burnout and depression scores, and on quality of life (QoL).
Results: We enrolled and randomly assigned 16 patients to a sham or real stimulation group, 15 (7 sham, 8 real) were included in the analysis. atDCS had a significant impact on attention. Post-hoc comparisons also revealed a trend towards more improvement after real tDCS for inhibition and shifting, updating and control, and encoding. Both groups improved on burnout and depression scores.
Conclusion: These data provide preliminary evidence for the value of atDCS over the left DLPFC in rehabilitating attention deficits, and possibly also central executive and encoding deficits, in burnout. However, the current study has some limitations, including the sample size and heterogeneous patient population. More elaborate studies are needed to elucidate the specific impact of atDCS over the left DLPFC on burnout.
Trial registration: ISRCTN.com ( ISRCTN94275121 ) 17/11/19
