Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40229758›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2025

The experienced route to cognitive health: Cognitive recovery in persons with prior stress-related Exhaustion disorder.

Andreas Nelson, Ingela Aronsson, Maria Tillfors, Anna Stigsdotter Neely, Hanna M Gavelin

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03073772 (Effects on Cognitive Function, Estimated as a Global Brain Score, by Cognitive and Physical Fitness Training Added to a Multimodal Rehabilitation Program for Patients With Exhaustion Disorder), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03073772 nacompletednot on this map

Effects on Cognitive Function, Estimated as a Global Brain Score, by Cognitive and Physical Fitness Training Added to a Multimodal Rehabilitation Program for Patients With Exhaustion Disorder

TypeinterventionalSponsorUmeå UniversityRan2010 to 2014Enrolled161ConditionsExhaustion, Syndrome, Burnout SyndromeArmsComputer-based cognitive training, Physical fitness training
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Andreas NelsonDepartment of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden. andreas.nelson@kau.se.
Ingela AronssonDepartment of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Maria TillforsDepartment of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
Anna Stigsdotter NeelyDepartment of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
Hanna M GavelinDepartment of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Funding

AFA Försäkring 150175Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd 2020-01111Riksbankens Jubileumsfond SAB19-1010
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople diagnosed with stress-related exhaustion disorder report high levels of cognitive symptoms. This study aimed to explore how persons diagnosed with Exhaustion disorder (ED) experienced cognitive functioning and recovery 6-10 years after participating in a rehabilitation programme. Specifically, it investigated the experiences of current functioning, change over time, and what had been barriers or facilitators for cognitive recovery.

methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted for 38 persons previously diagnosed with ED (Mean age: 52; Females: 32) and explored using thematic analysis.

resultsThe analysis resulted in four themes: "'It's different now': Remaining cognitive symptoms", "The bigger picture: Cognitive recovery in context", "Overcoming challenges: Strategies for coping with cognitive symptoms", and "The approach towards cognition matters". The participants' experiences varied but included descriptions on how cognitive functioning had become better with some remaining symptoms. These difficulties were reported across cognitive domains, yet often centred around upholding executive control. Cognitive recovery was seen in the context of overall well-being and recovery which differed between the participants. Facilitators and barriers thus varied between persons, and included both restorative and compensatory strategies, external conditions, the degree of worry, and development of a more acceptant or self-compassionate view on cognition and oneself.

conclusionsThe results show that cognitive recovery in ED is multifaceted. 6-10 years after rehabilitation, experiences included improvement of everyday cognitive functioning, but also lingering challenges, often related to maintenance of executive control. Recovery was influenced by factors such as general well-being, restorative or compensatory strategies, worrying, or the adaptation of more accepting or self-compassionate perspectives. The findings indicate a need for tailored, person-centred approaches to supporting cognitive recovery.

trial registrationParticipants were recruited as part of the Rehabilitation for Improved Cognition (RECO) trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03073772, date of registration: 8 March, 2017). This study was preregistered on the Open Science Framework (osf.io: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/S2W6X ).

Indexed as

CognitionCognitive DysfunctionFatigueStress, PsychologicalAdaptation, PsychologicalAdultAgedExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchClinical burnoutCognitionCognitive recoveryExhaustion disorderStress-related exhaustion

Identifiers

PMID40229758
PMCPMC11995536

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.