Mor Nahum

• PhD
• Professor (Assistant) at Hebrew University of Jerusalem

These are exciting times for psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. Our knowledge of basic brain function continues to increase at an accelerating pace as the experimental tools available to basic and clinical scientists become ever more powerful and penetrating. After decades of frustration and relatively slow progress, this explosion of knowledge...

Purpose This study aimed to examine the feasibility of a remote group intervention, Computerized Retraining and Functional Treatment Group (CRAFT-G), among adults with cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). CRAFT-G is designed to improve occupational performance, objective and subjective cognitive functions, quality of life (QoL), and sense of...

Importance: Exposure to trauma and extensive changes in daily life circumstances and occupations as a result of an ongoing armed conflict can significantly affect mental health. Objective: To examine factors related to the mental health status of Israeli students during the Swords of Iron war. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Online survey...

This study introduces a novel methodological framework for cognitive control training, embedded in a video game that incorporates action-based gameplay and a multidimensional Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) system. This system adapts to individual player performance in real-time, ensuring a personalized and engaging experience. The game archite...

Schizophrenia presents a considerable clinical challenge due to limited progress in promoting daily-life functioning among diagnosed individuals. Although cognitive remediation (CR) has emerged as a promising approach to improving cognitive and functional outcomes in schizophrenia, its effectiveness among inpatients and within hospital environments...

Introduction 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 investigating the feasibility and efficacy of an innovative, self-applied treatment approach for pati...

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder show deficits in processing speed, as well as aberrant neural oscillations, including both periodic (oscillatory) and aperiodic (1/f-like) activity, reflecting the pattern of power across frequencies. Both components were suggested as underlying neural mechanisms of cognitive dysfunctions in at...

Motivation in general, and social motivation in particular are important for interpersonal functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. Still, their roles after accounting for social cognition, are not well understood. The sample consisted of 147 patients with schizophrenia. General motivation was measured using the Behavioral inhibition/activati...

Empathy and executive functions (EFs) are multimodal constructs that enable individuals to cope with their environment. Both abilities develop throughout childhood and are known to contribute to social behavior and academic performance in young adolescents. Notably, mentalizing and EF activate shared frontotemporal brain areas, which in previous st...

Psychological resilience, the ability to adapt to adversity, is theorized to rely on intact inhibitory control (IC) mechanisms, which underlie one’s ability to maintain goal-directed behavior by inhibiting prepotent responses. However, no study to date has explored daily fluctuations of IC performance in relation to resilience. Here, we examined th...

Non-invasive brain stimulation has been suggested as a potential treatment for improving symptomology and cognitive deficits in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder. Here, we examined whether a novel form of stimulation, high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), ap...

Introduction Cognitive models of depression highlight the role of inhibitory control - the cognitive control ability which supports our goal directed behavior – as key and even causal feature of the disorder. According to these models, deficits in inhibitory control prevent the exclusion of irrelevant negative information, leading to rumination and...

Objective: Home-based non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been suggested as an adjunct treatment strategy for neuro-psychiatric disorders. There are currently no available solutions to direct and monitor correct placement of the stimulation electrodes. To address this issue, we propose an easy-to-use digital tool to support patients for self...

Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) are more likely than nondepressed individuals to use emotion regulation strategies that decrease pleasant emotions (e.g., distraction from positive stimuli) and increase unpleasant emotions (e.g., negative rumination). If such strategies are actively chosen, these choices may partly reflect weaker mo...

Background: Inhibitory control (IC) deficits have been proposed as a potential risk factor for depression. However, little is known about the intra-individual daily fluctuations in IC, and its relationship to mood and depressive symptoms. Here, we examined the everyday association between IC and mood, in typical adults with various levels of depre...

Objective This study examined the contribution of the temporal dynamics of two cognitive control mechanisms—inhibitory control (IC) and working memory (WM)—to emotion dysregulation (ED) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in ecological settings. Method One hundred twenty-two participants (age 18–33 years; 60 with ADHD) reported thei...

Purpose To examine the preliminary efficacy of Cognitive Retraining and Functional Treatment (CRAFT) combining remote computerized cognitive training (CCT) and occupation-based treatment in adults with cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Methods Three-armed randomized controlled trial including 74 individuals with CRCI, randomized into 12...

Non-invasive brain stimulation has been suggested as a potential treatment for improving symptomology and cognitive deficits in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder. Here, we examined whether a novel form of stimulation, high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), ap...

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, which enforced social distancing and isolation, teachers were required to handle multiple challenges related to their work, including dealing with remote teaching, in addition to personal, medical and financial challenges. The goal of the current research was to examine factors that contributed to profession...

Facial emotion recognition is a key component of social cognition. Impaired facial emotion recognition is tied to poor psychological wellbeing and deficient social functioning. While previous research has demonstrated the potential for social cognition training to improve overall facial emotion recognition, questions remain regarding what aspects o...

Psychological resilience - the ability to adapt to adversity - is associated with intact inhibitory control (IC) mechanisms, which support goal-directed behavior. To date, no study has examined the daily fluctuations of IC performance in relation to resilience. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between IC and mood in young ad...

Enhanced behavioral interventions are gaining increasing interest as innovative treatment strategies for major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study protocol, we propose to examine the synergistic effects of a self-administered home-treatment, encompassing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) along with a video game based training of a...

Purpose: To examine the applicability and efficacy of Cognitive Retraining and Functional Treatment (CRAFT) combining remote computerized cognitive training (CCT) and occupation-based treatment in adults with cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Methods: Three-armed randomized controlled trial including 74 individuals with CRCI, randomized i...

Introduction The DiSCoVeR trial is a multi-site, double-blind, sham controlled, randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the feasibility and efficacy of an innovative, self-applied treatment approach for patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD). The treatment approach incorporates non-invasive brain stimulation, i.e. prefronta...

Introduction Inhibitory control is the executive function component which underlies one’s ability to maintain goal-directed behavior by inhibiting prepotent responses or ignoring irrelevant information. Recent models suggest that impaired inhibition of negative information may contribute to depressive symptoms, and that this association is mediated...

Introduction Background: Mental resilience refers to the capacity to overcome the negative effects of setbacks and associated stress on performance. In the face of stressors, lack of mental resilience may even cause psychopathology, such as depression. While all combatants are exposed to stressors, female combatants face additional challenges compa...

Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) often use emotion regulation strategies that decrease hedonic balance. If chosen, such strategies may reflect reduced pro-hedonic motivation. However, whether such strategies are actively chosen, even when alternatives are available, remains unclear. In Study 1, using a behavioral task we demonstrate...

Early blindness results in alterations in the neural responses to auditory stimuli. Here we show that even moderately reduced vision in one eye early in life is sufficient to induce neural plastic changes in voice processing. We asked individuals with reduced visual acuity in one eye due to amblyopia to attend to vocal cues during electroencephalog...

Objective Processing Speed (PS), the ability to perceive and react fast to stimuli in the environment, has been shown to be impaired in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, it is unclear whether PS can be improved following targeted treatments for ADHD. Here we examined potential changes in PS following applicatio...

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to examine the unique contribution of personal and medical factors, objective and subjective cognition, and self-efficacy to the explained variance of quality of life (QoL) among survivors with self-reported cancer related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Method: Seventy-three cancer survivors (non-cen...

BACKGROUND Psychological resilience, one’s ability to adapt to adversity or life stressors, is hypothesized to rely on intact mechanisms of cognitive control (CC), i.e., the mental abilities that underlie our goal-directed behavior. These CC mechanisms may further help with emotion regulation during stressful periods. However, CC abilities may fluc...

Objective Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with emotional dysregulation (ED) and impaired health related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the role of ED in explaining the relationship between ADHD and HRQoL is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to do so in a sample of non-referred young adults with and witho...

Periods of stressful events, such as those experienced during combat training in the military, may lead to psychological distress and reduced quality of life (QoL). Mental resilience, the capacity to overcome negative effects of setbacks on performance, may help protect one from the adversities associated with basic combat training. Among the facto...

Date Presented 04/7/21 This study describes the feasibility of a combined telehealth intervention of computerized cognitive training together with occupation-based treatment for patients with cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). The intervention was found feasible, and positive outcomes on occupational performance, cognitive functions, quali...

Social cognition allows humans to understand and predict other people’s behavior by inferring or sharing their emotions, intentions and beliefs. Few studies have investigated the impact of one’s own emotional state on understanding others. Here, we tested the effect of being in an angry state on empathy and theory of mind (ToM). In a between-groups...

Multiple internal factors, such as psychological resilience and mental health status, have been shown to contribute to overall quality of life (QoL). However, very few studies to date have examined how these factors contribute to QoL of youth and young adults in a stressful situation. Here, we studied the contribution of these factors, as well as o...

Inhibitory control underlies one’s ability to maintain goal-directed behavior by inhibiting prepotent responses or ignoring irrelevant information. Recent models suggest that impaired inhibition of negative information may contribute to depressive symptoms, and that this association is mediated by rumination. However, the exact nature of this assoc...

Objective Improving symptomology and cognitive deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders is a crucial challenge. We examined whether neurostimulation protocols, which have been shown to yield long-term effects when combined with cognitive training, could benefit children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD), the most common neurodeve...

Psychological resilience allows one to cope successfully with adversities occurring during stressful periods, which may otherwise trigger mental illness. Recent models suggest that inhibitory control (IC), the executive control function which supports our goal-directed behavior and regulates our emotional response, may underlie resilience. However,...

Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental visual disorder which results in reduced visual acuity in one eye and impaired binocular interactions. Previous studies suggest attentional deficits in amblyopic individuals. However, spatial cues which orient attention to a visual field improved performance. Here, we investigate the neural correlates of auditory‐v...

Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental visual disorder which results in reduced visual acuity in one eye and impaired binocular interactions. Previous studies suggest attentional deficits in amblyopic individuals. However, spatial cues which orient attention to a visual field improved performance. Here, we investigate the neural correlates of auditory‐v...

Introduction The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of a telehealth intervention combining computerised cognitive training and occupation-based treatment among adult cancer survivors experiencing cancer-related cognitive impairment. Method This was a single-arm study including six cancer survivors with cancer-related cognitive impai...

Date Presented 03/27/20 This pilot study describes the impact of a combined remote intervention of computerized cognitive training together with occupational-based treatment on patients with cancer-related cognitive impairment. Positive outcomes were found in occupational performance, cognitive functions, quality of life, and mood. This treatment c...

Date Presented 03/26/20 The study’s aim was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of cognitive-control training using mobile phones to improve resilience and QOL among soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces. A group of 154 combat-unit soldiers were recruited and randomized to a controlled clinical trial group and an active control group....

Social cognition (SC), the mental operations underlying social functioning, are impaired in schizophrenia. Their direct link to functional outcome and illness status have made them an important therapeutic target. However, no effective treatment for these deficits is currently applied as a standard of care. To address this need, we have developed S...

Shared attention experiments examine the potential differences in function or behavior when stimuli are experienced alone or in the presence of others, and when simultaneous attention of the participants to the same stimulus or set is involved. Previous work has found enhanced reactions to emotional stimuli in social situations, yet these changes m...

Objective Persistent violent and antisocial behavior, as manifested in conduct disorder (CD) traits, are associated with a range of cognitive deficits. Individuals with more severe cognitive deficits are more likely to commit violent crimes. Currently, no treatments target improving cognition in high-risk CD youth. This pilot study tests the feasib...

This chapter highlights the key role of two main factors, attentional control and reward processing, in unlocking brain plasticity. We first review the evidence for the role that each of these mechanisms plays in neuroplasticity, and then make the case that tools and technologies that combine these two are likely to result in maximal and broad, gen...

Background: Deficits in cognition, social cognition, and motivation are significant predictors of poor functional outcomes in schizophrenia. Evidence of durable benefit following social cognitive training is limited. We previously reported the effects of 70 h of targeted cognitive training supplemented with social cognitive exercises (TCT + SCT) v...

Background: The capacity for empathy plays an important role in interpersonal relationships and social functioning, and impairments in empathy can have negative effects on social interactions and overall social adjustment. This suggests that empathy may be a critical target for intervention in individuals who struggle with social interactions, yet...

Background: Various methods have been attempted to effectively ameliorate psychiatric and neurological conditions in children and adults. One of the attractive ideas is to develop interventions to create a lasting, rather than only an immediate, effect. Such a concept has important implications including increased independency of the patient, reduc...

There is substantial interest in the possibility that cognitive skills can be improved by dedicated behavioral training. Yet despite the large amount of work being conducted in this domain, there is not an explicit and widely agreed upon consensus around the best methodological practices. This document seeks to fill this gap. We start from the pers...

Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is often severe, enduring, and contributes significantly to chronic disability. A standardized platform for identifying cognitive impairments and measuring treatment effects in cognition is a critical aspect of comprehensive evaluation and treatment for individuals with schizophrenia. In this project, we develo...

There is substantial interest in the possibility that cognitive skills can be improved by dedicated behavioral training. Yet despite the large amount of work being conducted in this domain, there is not an explicit and widely agreed upon consensus around the best methodological practices. This document seeks to fill this gap. We start from the pers...

Human brain networks that encode variation in mood on naturalistic timescales remain largely unexplored. Here we combine multi-site, semi-chronic, intracranial electroencephalography recordings from the human limbic system with machine learning methods to discover a brain subnetwork that correlates with variation in individual subjects’ self-report...

The gold-standard treatment for childhood amblyopia remains patching or penalizing the fellow eye, resulting in an average of about a one line (0.1 logMAR) improvement in visual acuity following ≈ 120 hours of patching (Stewart, Moseley, Stephens, & Fielder, 2004; Stewart, Stephens, Fielder, Moseley, & Cooperative, 2007) in children 3 to 8 years ol...

Computer-based targeted cognitive training (TCT) shows promise as a tool to improve cognitive skills by stimulating learning-induced neuroplasticity in regions specific to the trained processes. The current study investigated whether SocialVille, a computerized social cognition training program from PositScience Corporation, could improve social co...

Background Mood disorders are dynamic disorders characterized by multimodal symptoms. Clinical assessment of symptoms is currently limited to relatively sparse, routine clinic visits, requiring retrospective recollection of symptoms present in the weeks preceding the visit. Novel advances in mobile tools now support ecological momentary assessment...

Background: Research has shown that people who develop a psychotic disorder display observable decreases in cognitive abilities even before they begin to display overt symptoms of psychosis. Thus research has shown an increased interest in targeted cognitive training (TCT) as possible technique to deter or even stop cognitive deterioration in psych...

Background: Access and engagement with psychosocial interventions for people with psychotic disorders (PD) remain limited. This is because these interventions require specially trained therapists, are often not available in clinical settings, and have a high scheduling burden, requiring a commitment of hours of clinic visits per week for several mo...

Background: Deficits in social cognition are prominent features of schizophrenia that play a large role in functional impairments and disability. Performance deficits in these domains are associated with altered activity in functional networks, including those that support social cognitive abilities such as emotion recognition. These social cogniti...

Objective: Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate cognitive, social cognitive, and motivational deficits that contribute to impairment in real-world functioning. In the current study, we investigated the effects of supplementing computerized neurocognitive training with social cognitive exercises, as compared with neurocognitive training alone...

Background Numerous psychosocial interventions for individuals with chronic psychotic disorders (CPD) have shown positive effects on social cognitive and functional outcome measures. However, access to and engagement with these interventions remains limited. This is partly because these interventions require specially trained therapists, are not av...

Research has shown an increased interest in targeted cognitive training (TCT) as a technique to deter and possibly stop cognitive deterioration in psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. Although TCT has shown promising improvements in certain cognitive deficits, TCT research has largely ignored social cognition training. The current study in...

We studied how neurocognitive training can improve cognitive skills and/or modify synaptic connections in autistics. Although plasticity is higher in children, recent studies have demonstrated that there can be modifications of structure and organisation in the adult brain too. This research is based on a longitudinal study of a sample of individua...

Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic medical condition, characterized by positive and negative symptoms, as well as pervasive social cognitive deficits. Despite the functional significance of the social cognition deficits affecting many aspects of daily living, such as social relationships, occupational status, and independent living, there is sti...

Previous studies have employed different experimental approaches to enhance visual function in adults with amblyopia including perceptual learning, videogame play, and dichoptic training. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a novel dichoptic action videogame combining all three approaches. This experimental intervention was compared to a conventiona...

Amblyopia is a deficit in vision that arises from abnormal visual experience early in life. It was long thought to develop into a permanent deficit, unless properly treated before the end of the sensitive period for visual recovery. However, a number of studies now suggest that adults with long-standing amblyopia may at least partially recover visu...

Supplementary Information

Adults with amblyopia, a condition characterized by reduced visual acuity (VA) and stereopsis, may benefit from playing action video games with the non-amblyopic eye patched (e.g. Li et al., 2011). However, it is unclear whether these patients can benefit merely from patching of the non-amblyopic eye (i.e. no game), the gold standard for amblyopia...