Background: The DiSCoVeR trial (The DiSCoVeR Project: Examining the synergistic effects of a cognitive control videogame and a self-administered non-invasive brain stimulation on alleviating depression) is a double-blind, sham controlled, randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the feasibility and efficacy of an innovative, self-applied treatment approach for patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). The multi-site trial is conducted at three clinical trial sites (Hadassah, Israel; Riga Stradiņš University, Latvia; Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Germany). During the first study visit of this trial data on different patient baseline parameters were gathered including assessment of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and rumination. The aim of this abstract is to examine the relationship between depression, rumination and anxiety in this patient sample. Rumination, often characterized by repetitive, negative thinking, can exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and depression by maintaining and intensifying negative emotional states. This cycle creates a challenging clinical problem making it difficult to break free without targeted interventions.
Methods: This patient sample includes data from 106 patients included in the trial up to April 2024. Depression severity was measured using Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), anxiety symptoms were measured using Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and rumination was measured using Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). The data was analyzed using Jamovi statistical platform [1]. First the data was analyzed using Pearson correlation. Then the data was further analyzed with looking at the relationship between GAD-7 score and RRS score with using MADRS score as a moderator.
Results: A statistically significant positive strong correlation was found between the GAD-7 score and RRS score, r = 0.513, 95% CI [0.357 – 0.641], n = 106, p < 0.001. A statistically significant weak correlation was found between the GAD-7 and MADRS score, r = 0.226, 95% CI [0.037 – 0.400], n = 106, p = 0.020. The correlation between between RRS and MADRS score was weak and not statistically significant, r = 0.161, 95% CI [-0.030 – 0.342], n = 106, p = 0.098. GAD-7 score (B=0.997, 95% CI [0.663-1.331], z=5.85, p
