The STRENGTHEN Study

March 25, 2024 updated by: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Hybrid Interventions to Optimize Neural Plasticity and Enhance Well-being: Mental Exercise, and Transcranial Electrical Stimulation With Temporal Interference: The STRENGTHEN Study - Phase 1

This study uses two different types of interventions including electrical brain stimulation delivered during sleep, and brief, daily meditation training. The investigators are trying to figure out whether these techniques, either alone or in combination with each other, can positively impact the brain networks that support our ability to think flexibly and to regulate our emotions. 48 participants will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for up to 9 months.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

The investigators will evaluate the independent and synergistic effect of Cognitive Flexibility (CF)/Emotional Regulation (ER) - targeted meditation and CF/ER-targeted Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference (TES-TI) during sleep in low-risk participants (n = 48).

After informed consent, all participants will undergo a set of baseline assessments, including self-report measures, behavioral tasks, functional and structural MRI, and a baseline in-laboratory sleep study.

Following these assessments, participants undergo four weeks of the study intervention. The participants will be assigned into one of four groups. Each group consists of 12 participants.

After completing the 4-week intervention, participants will repeat the behavioral, self-report, and imaging assessments given at baseline. Participants will also complete a 7-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) at baseline, the week after intervention, and at 4-months following intervention. At the 4-month follow-up, participants may complete another round of self-report and behavioral measures.

The Primary Objectives are to:

  • Evaluate the effects of the following on CF and ER networks:

    1. meditation practice alone
    2. meditation practice and high-dose TES-TI
    3. meditation practice and low-dose TES-TI
    4. TES-TI alone

The Secondary Objectives are to:

  • Evaluate the differential synergies between Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep TES-TI intervention and the restoration of CF verses ER circuits

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

48

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

    • Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53703
        • Recruiting
        • Center for Healthy Minds

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Medically healthy
  • English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires)
  • Citizen or legal resident

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any current or recent history (6 months) of any mental health diagnosis (Examples include major depression, hypomania, psychosis, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder)
  • Any current or recent (past 6 months) history of treatment for mental illness (including anti-depressant/anti anxiety medications, therapy)
  • Scoring above Moderate range for Anxiety or Depression - Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) greater than or equal to 15 or General Anxiety Disorder (GAD7) greater than or equal to 15
  • At risk for suicide (PHQ item 9 greater than 0)
  • Any current or past history of neurological disorders or acquired neurological disease (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury), including intracranial lesions
  • History of head trauma resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness; or a history of greater than 3 grade I concussions
  • Current history of poorly controlled headaches including intractable or poorly controlled migraines
  • Any systemic illness or unstable medical condition that may cause a medical emergency in case of a provoked seizure (cardiac malformation, cardiac dysrhythmia, asthma, etc.)
  • History of fainting spells of unknown or undetermined etiology that might constitute seizures
  • History of seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy, history of abnormal (epileptiform) electroencephalogram, or family history of treatment resistant epilepsy with the exception of a single seizure of benign etiology (e.g. febrile seizures) in the judgment of a board-certified neurologist
  • Possible pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next 6 months.
  • Any metal in the brain, skull or elsewhere
  • Any hair braid, dreadlocks, hair pieces, or extensions which cannot be taken out before the MRI scans and/or sleep stimulation sessions
  • Any head coverings or headdress that participant feels uncomfortable removing for the purposes of the MRI scans and/or sleep stimulation sessions
  • Any medical devices or implants (i.e. cardiac pacemaker, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, vagal nerve stimulator) unless otherwise approved by the responsible physician
  • Dental implants containing metal (titanium or titanium alloys) surgically implanted post and core
  • Substance use disorder within the past six months
  • Any medication that may alter seizure threshold i.e., Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulants (Adderall, amphetamine); Tricyclic/atypical antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepine, imipramine, maprotiline, nortriptyline, bupropion); Antipsychotics (chlorpromazine, clozapine), Bronchodilators (theophylline, aminophylline); Antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, imipenem, penicillin, cephalosporins, metronidazole, isoniazid); Antivirals (valacyclovir, ritonavir); Over the Counter (OTC) (diphenhydramine, Benadryl)
  • Claustrophobia (a fear of small or closed places)
  • Back problems that would prevent lying flat for up to two hours
  • Regular night-shift work (second or third shift)
  • Do not have access to a smartphone or the internet
  • Regular meditation practice and/or prior use of the Healthy Minds Program app
  • Cannot visit the lab in-person for 7 consecutive weeks in the next year

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1: Mediation Only
  • Baseline measures including imaging
  • Meditation plus Sham Stimulation 2 nights per week for 4 weeks
  • Post Intervention (week 5) measures including imaging
  • Follow up measures (week 20)
Participants will follow daily instructions from the Healthy Minds Program at home for four weeks, including guided meditation exercises.
Other Names:
  • Health Minds App
On two nights each week during the four weeks of the intervention, participants will sleep in the lab and undergo sham TES-TI stimulation for approximately 10 hours per night
Imaging protocol will include: structural T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, resting-state functional MRI, task-based functional MRI, and multi-shell diffusion weighted MRI, total scan time will be approximately 2 hours
Other Names:
  • 3 Tesla MAGNUS
  • Microstructure Anatomy Gradient for Neuroimaging with Ultrafast Scanning
Experimental: Group 2: Stimulation Only
  • Baseline measures including imaging
  • Sham Meditation plus Stimulation in Lab 2 nights per week for 4 weeks
  • Post Intervention (week 5) measures including imaging
  • Follow up measures (week 20)
Imaging protocol will include: structural T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, resting-state functional MRI, task-based functional MRI, and multi-shell diffusion weighted MRI, total scan time will be approximately 2 hours
Other Names:
  • 3 Tesla MAGNUS
  • Microstructure Anatomy Gradient for Neuroimaging with Ultrafast Scanning
Participants will listen to lessons from the Healthy Minds Program at home for four weeks, which will not include any actual meditation exercises.
Participants will sleep in the lab and undergo active TES-TI stimulation for approximately 10 hours per night.
Other Names:
  • TES-TI
  • Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference
Experimental: Group 3: Combined, Low Frequency
  • Baseline measures including imaging
  • Meditation plus Stimulation in Lab 1 night per week for 4 weeks
  • Post Intervention (week 5) measures including imaging
  • Follow up measures (week 20)
Participants will follow daily instructions from the Healthy Minds Program at home for four weeks, including guided meditation exercises.
Other Names:
  • Health Minds App
Imaging protocol will include: structural T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, resting-state functional MRI, task-based functional MRI, and multi-shell diffusion weighted MRI, total scan time will be approximately 2 hours
Other Names:
  • 3 Tesla MAGNUS
  • Microstructure Anatomy Gradient for Neuroimaging with Ultrafast Scanning
Participants will sleep in the lab and undergo active TES-TI stimulation for approximately 10 hours per night.
Other Names:
  • TES-TI
  • Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference
Experimental: Group 4: Combined, High Frequency
  • Baseline measures including imaging
  • Meditation plus Stimulation in Lab 2 nights per week for 4 weeks
  • Post Intervention (week 5) measures including imaging
  • Follow up measures (week 20)
Participants will follow daily instructions from the Healthy Minds Program at home for four weeks, including guided meditation exercises.
Other Names:
  • Health Minds App
Imaging protocol will include: structural T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, resting-state functional MRI, task-based functional MRI, and multi-shell diffusion weighted MRI, total scan time will be approximately 2 hours
Other Names:
  • 3 Tesla MAGNUS
  • Microstructure Anatomy Gradient for Neuroimaging with Ultrafast Scanning
Participants will sleep in the lab and undergo active TES-TI stimulation for approximately 10 hours per night.
Other Names:
  • TES-TI
  • Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The PHQ-9 is a 9-item inventory asking participants to rate from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly everyday) the frequency and intensity of depressive symptoms experienced by the respondent over the preceding two-week period. Scores range from 0 to 27 where higher scores indicate poorer patient health. Participants with scores greater than 15 will be excluded from study.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This 7-item inventory measures the severity of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms in individuals by asking participants to rate from 0 (not all at) to 3 (nearly everyday) the frequency and intensity of various anxiety-related symptoms experienced by the participant in the past two weeks. Scores range from 0-21 where higher scores indicate more anxiety. This study will exclude any participants who have a total score of 15 or above.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Single-item Suicide Question
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This single-item suicide question assesses participant's suicidal ideation to respond yes or no to "Since the last time we saw you, did you seriously consider attempting suicide?".
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Healthy Minds Index (HM Index)
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The HM Index is a 17-question, 5-point scale well-being assessment that measures the four pillars of Wellbeing - Awareness, Connection, Insight, and Purpose. Means scores are from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicative of increased wellbeing.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This is a 10-item inventory asking participants to rate from 0 (never) to 4 (very often) the frequency with which they have felt various kinds of stress in the last month. Scores range from 0 to 40 with higher score indicative of higher stress.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Emotional Styles Questionnaire (ESQ) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This is a 24-item inventory asking participants to rate from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Scores range from 24 - 168, higher scores are indicative of less Healthy Emotionality
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) Score: Alternatives Subscale
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The CFI is a 20-item self-report measure to monitor how often individuals engage in cognitive behavioral thought challenging interventions. Participants rate each item from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Scores range from 13 - 91, higher scores are indicative of increased ability to perceive multiple alternative explanations.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) Score: Control Subscale
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The CFI is a 20-item self-report measure to monitor how often individuals engage in cognitive behavioral thought challenging interventions. Participants rate each item from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Scores range from 7 - 49, higher scores are indicative of increased ability to perceive difficult situations as controllable.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18 (DERS-18) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The DERS-18 is a 18-item self-report measure which assesses various aspects of emotion regulation, including emotional awareness, acceptance of emotional responses, impulse control, and effective goal-directed behavior during emotional experiences using a 5-point scale from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). Higher scores suggest greater problems with emotion regulation.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This validated assessment tool asks participants to rate 8 items that measure sleep-related difficulties using a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 8 to 40 with higher scores indicative of more sleep disturbance.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This 20-item self-report questionnaire is a widely used self-report questionnaire which assesses symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants rate from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely) the severity of their symptoms. Scores range from 0 to 80 with higher scores indicative of more severe PTSD symptoms.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in World Health Organization-5 (WHO-5)
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This 5-item scale is a global measure of Well-Being, where higher scores reflect greater overall wellbeing (range 0-25).
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Restorative Sleep Questionnaire (RSQ) Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4)
This validated assessment measuring subjective perceptions of the restorative or inadequate properties of sleep will be given the morning after every sleep lab visit. The questionnaire includes 9 items rated on a 5 point scale given at the time of awakening. Scores range from 0 to100, where higher scores are indicative of better restorative sleep.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4)
Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5)
This validated questionnaire evaluates subjective sleep quality. Each of the questionnaire's 19 self-reported items belongs to one of seven subcategories: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medication, and daytime dysfunction. Five additional questions rated by the respondent's roommate or bed partner are included for clinical purposes and are not scored. Each component is scored 0 (no difficulty) to 3 (severe difficulty), scores ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores are indicative of worse sleep quality.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5)
Change in Suicide Risk Survey
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5)
This battery assesses known suicide risk factors. The 13 items ask participants about their sociodemographic characteristics; past experiences with mental health symptoms; thoughts of self-harm, and self-harming actions; psychological traits. Scores range from < 0.39408955691660219 to >= 0.67215170692043313 with higher scores indicative of increased suicidality.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5)
Change in Brief Suicide Cognitions Scale (B-SCS) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This self-report measure assesses the suicide belief system. Using a 5-point likert scale, participants rate 6 items measuring their enduring or identity-based hopelessness rooted in their beliefs about being undesirable, their emotional state as intolerable, and life challenges as insurmountable. Scores range from 6 to 30 where higher scores are indicative of increased suicidality.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Passive and Active Suicidal Ideation Scale (PASIS) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This 17-item validated tool assesses participants' passive and active suicidal ideation in the past seven days using a six-point Likert scale, from 0 (Not in the past 7 days) to 5 (several times every day). Higher score reflects greater suicidal ideation.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in NIH Toolbox Loneliness Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The NIH Toolbox Loneliness consists of 5 self-report items assessing participants' feelings of loneliness and social isolation on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1-5 where higher scores indicate increased loneliness.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The FFMQ is a widely used self-report inventory that assesses mindfulness across five facets: observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging of inner experience, and non-reactivity to inner experience. Participants rate their agreement level with 39 items using a 5-point Likert scale. Scores range from 39 to 195 with higher scores indicative of increased mindfulness.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Drexel Defusion Scale (DDS) Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This self-report measure evaluates the ability to create a mental separation or distance from one's internal experiences by asking participants to rate 10 items assessing defusion across a spectrum of internal thoughts and emotions on a 6-point scale, ranging from 0-5. Total scores range from 0 to 50 with higher scores indicative of increased defusion.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in PROMIS Meaning and Purpose Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This is a 37-item inventory asks participants to rate their sense of life with purpose and perceived reasons for living using a 5-point Likert scale. The current study will administer the computer adaptive test (CAT) version of the instrument, in which subsequent item choice of the system will be based on participants' previous responses. Scores range from 37 to 185 with higher scores indicative of higher feelings of meaning and purpose.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4), post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Digital Working Alliance Inventory (D-WAI) Score
Time Frame: post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The inventory consists of 6 items which measures the quality of the therapeutic alliance between a user and a digital mental health intervention, which is the HMP in this study. Participants rate their experience using the HMP on a 7-point scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Scores range from 6 to 42 where higher scores indicate better user experience with the app.
post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
The PTQ is a self-report instrument assessing repetitive and uncontrolled thinking by asking participants to rate 15 items about the frequency, duration, and perceived uncontrollability of repetitive thoughts on a scale of 0-4. Scores range from 0 to 60. The higher the score, the higher the level of perseverative thinking or repetitive thoughts experienced by the individual.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Experiences Questionnaire's Decentering subscale (EQ-D) Score
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This subscale is an 11-item scale of decentering originally developed to assess mechanisms of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (e.g., "I can separate myself from my thoughts and feelings."). The EQ-D is originally scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = never to 5 = all the time) where higher scores indicate increased decentering.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Experience Sampling / Ecological Momentary Assessment
Time Frame: 6 times per day for 7 days
The experience sampling method assesses present moment experience using a short series of questions administered on a smart phone 6 times a day for 7 days. Questions measure current emotional and cognitive state. Score range from 1-5 where higher scores indicate increased emotional state
6 times per day for 7 days
Change in Death Implicit Association Test Score
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves participants viewing words on a screen. Words are either related to self (e.g., "I"), others (e.g., "They"), life (e.g., "survive") or death (e.g., "die"). Like other Implicit Association Tests, participants are asked to indicate which category each word belongs to. Across the trials, self and other are paired with either life or death. The measure can be scored as an implicit marker of how easily participants associated death with themselves. Scores are greater than 2 or less than 2, with more positive values indicating a stronger association between self and death.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Reversal Learning Task Score
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves participants viewing and choosing between two abstract visual stimuli (i.e., geometric shapes). After each choice they receive feedback that is either positive (+10) or negative (-10) feedback devoid of monetary value. Stimulus-outcome pairings are reversed over the course of the experiment.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Multi-Source Interference Task Score
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing a series of numbers and letters. Participants are asked to indicate using a button press which number was different from the other numbers. Scores are reported as percentage correct.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Emotional Stroop Score: Reaction Time
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing a series of faces and words. Participants are asked to identify the emotional expression of the faces. Percent change in reaction time is reported.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Emotional Stroop Score: Percent Correct
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing a series of faces and words. Participants are asked to identify the emotional expression of the faces. Percent correct is reported.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Meteor Mission Score: Mean Reaction Time
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This is a mobile measure of attention, based on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), a validated, standardized laboratory task. This task lasts five minutes and measures attention regulation and sustained attention, as assessed based on reaction time, reaction time variability, and accuracy.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Meteor Mission Score: Coefficient of Variation
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This is a mobile measure of attention, based on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), a validated, standardized laboratory task. This task lasts five minutes and measures attention regulation and sustained attention, as assessed based on reaction time, reaction time variability, and accuracy.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Meteor Mission Score: Percent Correct
Time Frame: baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
This is a mobile measure of attention, based on the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), a validated, standardized laboratory task. This task lasts five minutes and measures attention regulation and sustained attention, as assessed based on reaction time, reaction time variability, and accuracy.
baseline, post-intervention (week 5), follow-up (week 20)
Change in Emotional Persistence Task Score
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing pictures categorized as neutral, positive, or negative. Participants may be asked to press a button indicating the valence category of the picture. Positive and negative affect ratings will be made on a continuous sliding scale ranging from 0 to 6.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Change Your Mind Task Score: Mean Change
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing a series of letters and numbers. Participants are asked to determine whether a target letter was a certain letter (e.g., "T"). Participants receive feedback on their choices. The feedback is not always accurate and participants are informed of this. Change range is from 0 to 1.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Change Your Mind Task Score: Accuracy
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing a series of letters and numbers. Participants are asked to determine whether a target letter was a certain letter (e.g., "T"). Participants receive feedback on their choices. The feedback is not always accurate and participants are informed of this. Accuracy is from 0 to 1.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Change Your Mind Task Score: Response Time
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
This task involves viewing a series of letters and numbers. Participants are asked to determine whether a target letter was a certain letter (e.g., "T"). Participants receive feedback on their choices. The feedback is not always accurate and participants are informed of this. Response time is reported.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Change in Sleep Depth Question (SDQ) Score
Time Frame: baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4)
Participants will be asked to rate the depth of their prior night's sleep using 5-point Likert-type scale. How deep was your sleep? from 1 (light) to 5 (deep) after every sleep laboratory visit.
baseline, visit 3 (week 1), visit 4 (week 1), visit 5 (week 2), visit 6 (week 2), visit 7 (week 3), visit 8 (week 3), visit 9 (week 4), visit 10 (week 4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Spectral Power Density During Stimulation-Free Sleep
Time Frame: baseline and up to 8 nights (4 nights for the low frequency group) over the 4 week intervention period following the baseline assessment
Change in individual participant spectral power density during stimulation free sleep will be measured and reported separately for NREM sleep (in the 1-4 Hz frequency range) and REM sleep (in the approximately 50hz frequency range) at circadian time-matched periods of baseline sleep and time-matched, stimulation free periods on each of the intervention nights.
baseline and up to 8 nights (4 nights for the low frequency group) over the 4 week intervention period following the baseline assessment
Resting-state fMRI Connectivity Z-Scores
Time Frame: baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)
Resting-state fMRI connectivity will be assessed based on the Fisher-Z transformed (FZT) correlation of each seed region with all other voxels in the brain. In order to test for intervention effects, difference maps will be computed and a voxelwise analysis of the difference maps across the whole brain will be used to identify regions that might differ in connectivity between groups over time. A z-score is the number of standard deviations away from the mean.
baseline, post intervention (5 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Richard Davidson, PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Principal Investigator: Giulio Tononi, MD, PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 6, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 12, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 12, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

February 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 27, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 25, 2024

Last Verified

March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2023-1473
  • A487400 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • L&S/PSYCHOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • AWD00000302 (Other Grant/Funding Number: US Department of Defense DARPA)
  • Protocol Version 2/8/2024 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Data from this study will be kept for an indefinite period. Banked data will be kept in a secure location for use by researchers. The data may be shared with other researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and outside the University. Outside researchers may be at other universities, private companies, or other kinds of organizations. The banked data will be labeled with a code instead of a participant's name. When the data is shared with other investigators for research projects, they will not be able to use the code to figure out which data belongs to a particular subject. The research team will maintain a link between the data and subject identifiable information kept by the study team. This link will not be shared with anyone outside of the study team. Participants will be able to request to have their data removed from the bank by contacting the research team at any time.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Data sharing will be available by request and will be granted on an individual basis. In addition, fully de-identified data will be shared for open access purposes.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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