This pilot study evaluated the efficacy of a novel electronic cognitive training program aimed at alleviating anxiety in vocational college students. The intervention uniquely combined bilateral eye movements, drawing on principles of EMDR, with inhibitory control training. Fifty-four vocational college students with high anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 18) or the waiting control group (n = 33). The experimental group received a 1-month CogniMove program training, while the control group received no intervention for the time being. Results indicated that participants in the experimental group exhibited significantly greater reductions in anxiety compared to controls. Longitudinal analyses further revealed that improvements in self-control partially mediated the intervention's anxiolytic effects, highlighting the role of self-regulatory mechanisms. These findings suggest that combining response inhibition training with bilateral eye movements constitutes a promising and accessible approach for reducing anxiety in educational contexts.
Zhang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.