Neuromodulationsassisteret ego-disengagement: NEURO-EGO-studiet Fase 1

Eksperimentel: Stimulation

Deltagerne vil gennemgå sham-, TES- eller TES-TI-stimulering, mens de gennemfører kognitive vurderinger.

Enhed: Transkraniel elektrisk stimulation (TES)

TES bruger specifikke elektrodearrangementsmønstre til selektivt at stimulere hjernen. Deltagerne vil bære en hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) hætte, som vil tillade intermitterende perioder med stimulation fra TES.

Enhed: Transkraniel elektrisk stimulation med tidsmæssig interferens (TES-TI)

TES-TI bruger specifikke elektrodearrangementsmønstre til selektivt at stimulere hjernen. Deltagerne vil bære en hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) hætte, som vil tillade intermitterende perioder med stimulering fra TES-TI.

Enhed: Skamstimulering

TES-TI-sham inkluderer modtagelse af stimulering fra alle elektroder med samme frekvens. Sham TE'er vil omfatte administration af transkranial tilfældig støjstimulering (TRN'er), tilfældig svingende strøm. Det vil også omfatte perioder uden stimulering og en ramping -periode efterfulgt af ingen stimulering.

Ego-Disengagement skala

Ego-frigørelse vil blive målt ved hjælp af klokkeopgaven. Denne meditationsopgave består af fem "klokkeforsøg". Under hvert forsøg vil forsøgspersonerne blive bedt om at fokusere på lyden af ​​en klokke, indtil den falmer, derefter på den plads, der efterlades tom af den falmede lyd, og hvile fri fra tanker så længe som muligt (meditationstilstand). Bagefter vil forsøgspersonerne svare på et par spørgsmål designet til at vurdere deres niveau af ego-frigørelse under forsøgene. Dette er en formular med fem spørgsmål, der beder forsøgspersoner om at vurdere, på en skala fra 0-4, i hvilken grad de opfattede noget, forestillede sig noget, tænkte på sig selv eller tænkte på noget under den forrige klokkesag og derefter vurdere valensen af ​​deres følelsesmæssige tilstand under forsøget fra 1 (meget negativ) til 6 (meget positiv).

Kortikal aktivitet - ændring i gammabåndstyrke

Gammabåndseffekt vil blive målt med hdEEG under stimulering. Et fald indikerer et større niveau af ego-frigørelse.

Kortikal aktivitet - ændring i alfabåndstyrke

Alfabåndseffekt vil blive målt med hdEEG under stimulering. En stigning indikerer et større niveau af ego-frigørelse.

Implicit associeringsopgave: Responstid

IAT er et psykologisk værktøj designet til at måle styrken af ​​automatiske associationer mellem mentale repræsentationer af objekter eller begreber. IAT går typisk ud på at kategorisere ord eller billeder, der vises på en computerskærm, i forskellige grupper så hurtigt som muligt. For eksempel kan deltagerne blive bedt om at kategorisere ord som enten "behagelige" eller "ubehagelige" og billeder som enten "unge" eller "gamle". Den hastighed, hvormed deltagerne kategoriserer emnerne, er afgørende. Hurtigere svartider indikerer stærkere implicitte sammenhænge mellem de kategorier, der testes.

Implicit tilknytningsopgave: Nøjagtighed rapporteret som antallet af fejlklassificeringer

IAT er et psykologisk værktøj designet til at måle styrken af ​​automatiske associationer mellem mentale repræsentationer af objekter eller begreber. IAT går typisk ud på at kategorisere ord eller billeder, der vises på en computerskærm, i forskellige grupper så hurtigt som muligt. For eksempel kan deltagerne blive bedt om at kategorisere ord som enten "behagelige" eller "ubehagelige" og billeder som enten "unge" eller "gamle". Deltagerne gennemfører 8 blokke af 24 forsøg hver, bestående af to grupper af 4 inkongruente og 4 kongruente blokke. Inden for hver gruppe af blokke fungerer det første forsøg som et øveforsøg.

Implicit associeringsopgave: D-Score

IAT er et psykologisk værktøj designet til at måle styrken af ​​automatiske associationer mellem mentale repræsentationer af objekter eller begreber. IAT går typisk ud på at kategorisere ord eller billeder, der vises på en computerskærm, i forskellige grupper så hurtigt som muligt. For eksempel kan deltagerne blive bedt om at kategorisere ord som enten "behagelige" eller "ubehagelige" og billeder som enten "unge" eller "gamle".

Rapporteret her er D-score, der måler den standardiserede forskel mellem de gennemsnitlige svartider for kongruente og inkongruente parringer, justeret for antallet af fejl. Det varierer typisk fra -2 til 2. En score nær nul indikerer uselvisk behandling af frygt. Positive scores forventes at repræsentere identifikation med frygt. Omvendt forventes negative scores at repræsentere negativ selvrefererende evaluering af frygt.

Hurtig diskriminationsopgave: Hastighed

Rapid Discrimination Task er en kognitiv opgave, der bruges til at vurdere et individs evne til hurtigt og præcist at skelne mellem forskellige stimuli. Deltagerne præsenteres for en række stimuli, som kan variere i egenskaber som form, farve, størrelse eller følelsesmæssigt udtryk. Opgaven kræver, at deltagerne træffer hurtige beslutninger om stimuli, ofte under tidsbegrænsninger.

Både hastigheden og nøjagtigheden af ​​svar måles for at vurdere perceptuelle og kognitive evner. Til Rapid Discrimination Task præsenteres to sorte og hvide geometriske former ved siden af ​​hinanden ved hjælp af Eprime. I nogle dias vil de to former være identiske, og i andre vil de adskille sig ved, at den ene linje eller yderkanten af ​​formen er lidt anderledes end den anden. Deltageren bliver bedt om at trykke på 'S'-knappen på tastaturet, hvis de er ens, eller 'L'-knappen, hvis de er forskellige. Dette gentages i op til 25 minutter, indtil opgaven slutter.

Hurtig diskriminationsopgave: Nøjagtighed

Rapid Discrimination Task er en kognitiv opgave, der bruges til at vurdere et individs evne til hurtigt og præcist at skelne mellem forskellige stimuli. Deltagerne præsenteres for en række stimuli, som kan variere i egenskaber som form, farve, størrelse eller følelsesmæssigt udtryk. Opgaven kræver, at deltagerne træffer hurtige beslutninger om stimuli, ofte under tidsbegrænsninger.

Både hastigheden og nøjagtigheden af ​​svar måles for at vurdere perceptuelle og kognitive evner. Til Rapid Discrimination Task præsenteres to sorte og hvide geometriske former ved siden af ​​hinanden ved hjælp af Eprime. I nogle dias vil de to former være identiske, og i andre vil de adskille sig ved, at den ene linje eller yderkanten af ​​formen er lidt anderledes end den anden. Deltageren bliver bedt om at trykke på 'S'-knappen på tastaturet, hvis de er ens, eller 'L'-knappen, hvis de er forskellige. Dette gentages i op til 25 minutter, indtil opgaven slutter.

Spontan Mentationsopgave

Deltagere med åbne eller lukkede øjne vil blive bedt af et bip til at rapportere det sidste, der gik gennem deres sind (billede, tanke, følelse, følelser …) lige før lyden. Efter denne åbne rapport vil deltagerne også blive bedt om at vurdere på en VAS-skala (f.eks. fra 0 til 5) deres bevidsthed, nogle kvalitetsaspekter af deres omtaleindhold (f.eks. hvor tanke- eller billedlignende det var; eller graden af ​​kognitiv indsats).

[vil VAS-score blive rapporteret?]

Automatisk følelsesreguleringsopgave

Opgaven med automatisk følelsesregulering (AER) er designet til at undersøge, hvordan individer modulerer deres følelsesmæssige reaktioner uden bevidst indsats. I denne opgave udsættes deltagerne for forskellige følelsesmæssige stimuli, i dette eksperimentbillede, som typisk er kategoriseret som positivt (f.eks. en hvalp eller en solnedgang), negativ (f.eks. billedet af en naturkatastrofe eller af en person i nød) , eller neutral (f.eks. billedet af en stol eller af en bygning). Disse stimuli præsenteres hurtigt for at minimere bevidste reguleringsbestræbelser.

Under opgaven vil funktionelle MR-data blive optaget. Målet er at måle, hvor effektivt deltagerne automatisk kan regulere deres følelsesmæssige reaktioner. Dataanalyse fokuserer på at sammenligne svar på tværs af forskellige følelsesmæssige forhold for at udlede effektiviteten af ​​automatisk følelsesregulering.

Deltagerne vurderer på en VAS-skala (fra 1 til 10) intensiteten af ​​det følelsesmæssige indhold, der fremkaldes af hvert billede, højere tal er mere intense.

Hviletilstandsopgave

Deltagerne bliver simpelthen bedt om at hvile stille, vågne, men afslappede, for at registrere hjerneaktivitet uden at nogen ydre stimuli påvirker det.

Signalet målt inden for hver voxel er baseret på den blod-ilt-niveau-afhængige (BOLD) kontrast, som afspejler ændringer i blodgennemstrømning og iltning forbundet med neural aktivitet.

Mens hviletilstandsaktivitet kan hjælpe med fortolkningen af ​​forskellige opgavetilstande, vil det hovedsageligt blive evalueret som et mål i sig selv til at vurdere den grundlæggende hjernefunktionelle organisering af deltagerne.

Big Five Aspects Scale (BFAS)

This is a 44-item inventory that measures five different personality traits by asking subjects to respond to various items (e.g., I see myself as someone who is talkative) on a scale from 1 (disagree strongly) to 5 (agree strongly).

Fulfilled Life Scale (FLS)

This is a 32-item inventory that asks subjects to respond to various items (e.g., When I look back on my life, I feel deep inner contentment) on a scale from 1 (does not apply at all) to 6 (applies completely) and is designed to assess subjects' feelings of having lived a full life.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety

This is an 8-item inventory asking subjects to rate from 1-5 the frequency with which they have experienced components of anxiety in the last seven days. Higher scores reflect greater anxiety.

PROMIS Depression

This is an 8-item inventory asking subjects to rate from 1-5 the frequency with which they have experienced components of depression in the last seven days. Higher scores reflect greater depression.

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)

This is a 10-item inventory asking subjects to rate from 0-4 the frequency with which they have felt various kinds of stress in the last month. Participants rate each item on a scale ranging from "Never (0)" to "Very often (4)". Seven of the items with positive statements are scored in reverse. As the scores obtained from the scale increase, the perceived stress level of the person increases. Scores range from 0-40.

Questionnaire for Eudaimonic Well-Being (QEWB)

This is a 21-item inventory asking subjects to rate from 0-4 the extent to which they agree with various statements designed to assess their overall well-being. Scores range from 0-84 with higher scores indicating higher levels of well-being.

Psychological Wellbeing Scale (PWB)

The PWB Scale is a tool designed to measure various aspects of an individual's psychological well-being. The scale consists of 18 items and assesses six key dimensions of well-being: Autonomy - The ability to make independent decisions and resist social pressures; Environmental Mastery -The capacity to manage one's life and surrounding environment effectively; Personal Growth - A sense of continued development and realization of one's potential; Positive Relations with Others -The presence of meaningful, trusting relationships; Purpose in Life - Having goals and a sense of direction in life; Self-Acceptance - A positive attitude towards oneself and one's past life. There are three items per each dimension. Each item is rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), higher scores indicate higher wellbeing.

IQSS Flourishing Measure

The Human Flourishing Measures is designed to assess various domains of human well-being and flourishing. Developed by the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, this measure aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of an individual's overall well-being, across different domains such as, health, life satisfaction, purpose, close relationships. The questionnaire consists of 12 items, rated from 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree). High scores imply that people perceive themselves very positively in terms of human flourishing.

Metacognitive Processes of Decentering Scale (MPoD)

The MPoD is designed to measure the ability to decenter from internal experiences. Decentering involves viewing thoughts and feelings as temporary and objective events in the mind, rather than as reflections of the self. Items are scored from 1 (never or very rarely) to 5 (very often or always) for a total range of scores from 15-75 where higher scores indicate higher levels of engagement with trait-like metacognitive processes of decentering.

Experiences Questionnaire (EQ)

This 20-item self-report measure assesses trait levels of decentering and rumination. Decentering refers to the ability to view one's thoughts and feelings as temporary, objective events rather than reflections of the self. It is a key component of mindfulness and is often developed through meditation practices. The component Rumination includes items that measure the tendency to dwell on negative thoughts and feelings. For example, items might ask about the frequency of repetitive, negative thinking. Items are scored from 1 (never) to 5 (all the time) where higher scores indicate indicate higher decentering and rumination.

Self-Reflection Insight Scale (SRIS)

The SRIS is a psychometric tool designed to measure two critical components of self-awareness: self-reflection and insight. It provides a reliable means of assessing individuals' tendencies to engage in introspection and their ability to gain clear understanding from such introspection. Participants respond to each item using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate self-awareness.

Non-Attachment Scale (NAS)

NAS is designed to assess the extent to which individuals experience nonattachment in their daily lives. The NAS consists of 30 items that participants rate based on their agreement from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). The items are designed to capture various aspects of nonattachment, such as the ability to let go of thoughts and emotions, and the tendency to experience life without excessive clinging or aversion. Higher scores indicate more non-attachment.

Non-Attachment to Self Scale (NTS)

NTS is a psychological measure designed to assess the degree to which individuals are not fixated on self-related concepts, thoughts, and feelings. It captures the ability to interact with these self-related elements flexibly and without trying to control them. It is a single factor, 7-item scale, where each item is scored from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 7 (Strongly Agree). Higher scores indicate more non-attachment to self.

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ)

FFMQ is a comprehensive self-report instrument designed to assess mindfulness across five distinct dimensions. The FFMQ consists of 39 items, divided into five subscales, each representing a different facet of mindfulness: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, nonreactivity to inner experience. Participants respond to each item using a Likert scale ranging from 1 (never or very rarely true) to 5 (very often or always true). Higher scores on the FFMQ reflects a higher level of mindfulness (a better outcome).

Drexel Defusion Scale (DDS)

DDS is a psychometric instrument developed to measure the construct of defusion, which refers to the ability to achieve psychological distance from internal experiences such as thoughts and feelings. Participants respond to each item using a six-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 5 (very much), for a total possible range of scores from 0-50, higher scores indicate increased ability to defuse.

Relationship Questionnaire (RQ)

RQ is a self-report instrument designed to assess various dimensions of interpersonal relationship styles. The RQ consists of 4 items, each describing a specific relationship style. Participants rate each item on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from "1 = Strongly Disagree" to "7 = Strongly Agree."

UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS)

ULS is a widely used tool designed to measure an individual's subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. The scale consists of 20 items. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 4 (Often). Some items are reverse-scored to control for response bias. The total score ranges from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater levels of loneliness.

Social Connectedness Scale (SCS)

SCS, developed by Richard M. Lee and Steven B. Robbins in 1995, is a self-report questionnaire designed to measure the extent to which individuals feel connected to others in their social environment. The scale assesses feelings of closeness and belongingness, which are crucial for psychological well-being. The scale consists of 20 items. Each item is rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate a greater sense of social connectedness, while lower scores suggest feelings of social isolation or disconnection.

Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ)

ASQ is a self-report measure designed to assess adult attachment styles. This questionnaire helps identify how individuals typically think, feel, and behave in close relationships. The ASQ consists of 40 items rated on 6-point Likert Scale (1 Totally disagree - 6 Totally Agree). It measures five dimensions of attachment, that is, confidence, discomfort with closeness, need for approval, preoccupation with relationship, relationship as secondary.

Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS)

EIS is designed to measure the ability to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of oneself, others, and groups. The EIS consists of 33 items. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate higher emotional intelligence.

Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11)

BIS-11 is a widely used self-report measure designed to assess the personality/behavioral construct of impulsiveness. The BIS-11 consists of 30 items, each rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (rarely/never) to 4 (almost always/always).

The BIS-11 measures three primary dimensions of impulsiveness:

1. Attentional Impulsiveness: Difficulty focusing attention and a tendency to make quick decisions.
2. Motor Impulsiveness: Acting on the spur of the moment and a lack of perseverance.
3. Non-Planning Impulsiveness: A lack of forethought or consideration of future consequences.

Each of these dimensions is further broken down into subscales, providing a detailed profile of an individual's impulsivity traits. The total score ranges from 30 to 120, with higher scores indicating higher levels of impulsiveness.

Dickman Impulsivity Inventory (DII)

DII is a self-report measure designed to assess two distinct types of impulsivity: functional impulsivity and dysfunctional impulsivity. Functional Impulsivity is characterized by the tendency to act quickly and effectively in situations where such behavior is beneficial.

Dysfunctional Impulsivity involves acting with less forethought than most people, leading to negative outcomes. The DII consists of 23 items that are true or false statements. Each true statement is scored as 1. The scores for each subscale (functional impulsivity and dysfunctional impulsivity) are summed, with higher scores indicating higher levels of functional or dysfunctional impulsivity.

Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ)

VVIQ is a tool developed to assess the vividness of an individual's visual imagination. Items are scored on a 5-point Likert Scale from 1 (no image at all) to 5 (Perfectly clear and as vivid as normal vision). The questionnaire includes scenarios such as visualizing a friend's face, a rising sun, and other common scenes to gauge the vividness of the mental images. Higher scores indicate more vivid visual imagery.