Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41083219›Full record

SynthesisActa psychiatrica Scandinavica2026

Predicting Response to Pro-Cognitive Interventions in Mood Disorders: A Systematic Review by the International Society for Bipolar Disorders Targeting Cognition Task Force.

Dimosthenis Tsapekos, Michail Kalfas, Johanna M Schandorff, Caterina Del Mar Bonnin, Christopher R Bowie, Vicent Balanzá-Martínez, Katherine E Burdick, Andre F Carvalho, Annemieke Dols, Katie Douglas and 21 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

31 authors.

Dimosthenis TsapekosCentre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1972-4813
Michail KalfasCentre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Johanna M SchandorffNeurocognition and Emotion Across Disorders of the Brain (NEAD) Centre, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Caterina Del Mar BonninInstitute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain.
Christopher R BowieDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.
Vicent Balanzá-MartínezHospital Clínic Universitari, Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, INCLIVA, CIBERSAM, Valencia, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7772-7396
Katherine E BurdickDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Andre F CarvalhoIMPACT Strategic Research Centre (Innovation in Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Treatment), Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Annemieke DolsDepartment of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Katie DouglasDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5344-2959
Peter GallagherTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
Gregor HaslerPsychiatry Research Unit, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Lars V KessingCopenhagen Affective Disorder Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9377-9436
Hanne L KjærstadNeurocognition and Emotion Across Disorders of the Brain (NEAD) Centre, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Frederiksberg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7781-8853
Beny LaferBipolar Disorder Research Program, Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Kathryn E LewandowskiDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1477-6187
Carlos López-JaramilloDepartment of Psychiatry, Research Group in Psychiatry, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
Anabel Martinez-AranInstitute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain.
Roger S McIntyreDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4733-2523
Richard J PorterDepartment of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Scot E PurdonDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Ayal SchafferDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Paul R A StokesCentre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Tomiki SumiyoshiDepartment of Preventive Intervention for Psychiatric Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
Ivan J TorresDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5107-3339
Tamsyn E Van RheenenDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3339-6665
Lakshmi N YathamDepartment of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Jeff ZarpNeurocognition and Emotion Across Disorders of the Brain (NEAD) Centre, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Allan H YoungCentre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Eduard VietaInstitute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0548-0053
Kamilla W MiskowiakNeurocognition and Emotion Across Disorders of the Brain (NEAD) Centre, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Frederiksberg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2572-1384

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMajor depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are often associated with persistent cognitive deficits that impair psychosocial functioning. While pro-cognitive interventions show promise, trial findings are inconsistent, potentially due to baseline factors influencing treatment response. This systematic review summarizes evidence on pre-treatment characteristics associated with cognitive improvement and offers methodological recommendations.

methodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library from inception to February 28, 2025. Eligible studies included primary or secondary analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating predictors of cognitive response to pro-cognitive interventions in MDD and/or BD. Two researchers independently conducted study selection and risk of bias assessments. Findings were synthesized qualitatively.

resultsForty studies (N = 3864) were identified, covering pharmacological treatments (k = 20; N = 2299), psychological therapies (k = 16; N = 1165), brain stimulation (k = 2; N = 168), and physical activity (k = 2; N = 232). Poorer baseline cognitive performance was the most consistent predictor of greater cognitive improvement, though the direction of the effect was not entirely uniform across all studies. Baseline depression severity showed no significant association with cognitive outcomes. Age, education, sex, IQ, diagnosis, and medication status were similarly non-predictive. Risk of bias was high in 77% of studies, mainly due to deviations from specified outcomes, poor randomization processes, and inconsistent handling of missing data. Considerable heterogeneity in interventions, outcome measures, and sample characteristics limited replicability and precluded meta-analysis.

conclusionPoorer baseline cognition emerged as the most reliable predictor of greater cognitive improvement across interventions. More rigorous, well-powered studies are needed to replicate these findings and identify robust predictors to guide personalized pro-cognitive treatment approaches in mood disorders.

Indexed as

Bipolar DisorderCognitive Behavioral TherapyCognitive DysfunctionMajor Depressive DisorderOutcome Assessment, Health CareHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicbipolar disordercognitive impairmentcognitive interventionsISBDmajor depressive disordermood disordersresponse predictorssystematic reviewtask force

Identifiers

PMID41083219
PMCPMC13050603

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.