AI-Based Coach Promising for Behavioral Therapy

MONDAY, June 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A novel virtual voice-based coach delivering problem-solving treatment may improve anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as brain function, according to a study published online May 12 in Translational Psychiatry.

Thomas Kannampallil, Ph.D., from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues conducted a pilot trial in which adults with mild-to-moderate depression and/or anxiety were randomly assigned to the Lumen intervention (42 patients; virtual voice-based coach delivering problem-solving treatment) or to a wait-list control (21 patients).

The researchers found that activation of the right dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) decreased in the intervention group but increased in the control group, meeting the prespecified threshold for a meaningful effect (Cohen’s d = 0.3). Change in activation of the left dlPFC and bilateral amygdala were of smaller magnitude (d = 0.2). There was a meaningful association observed between change in right dlPFC activation (r ≥ 0.4) and changes in self-reported problem-solving ability and avoidance in the intervention. There were also decreases noted in depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress scores associated with the intervention, with medium effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.49, 0.51, and 0.55, respectively) versus the control group.

"This kind of technology may serve as a bridge," a coauthor said in a statement. "It's not meant to be a replacement for traditional therapy, but it may be an important stop-gap before somebody can seek treatment."

One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry and one cofounded a company that develops artificial intelligence software that tracks brain function.

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