Neurostimulation Enhanced Cognitive Restructuring for Transdiagnostic Emotional Dysregulation: A Component Analysis
Overview
- Phase
- N/A
- Intervention
- electrical scalp stimulation
- Conditions
- Emotion Regulation
- Sponsor
- Duke University
- Enrollment
- 240
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Time to return to Heart Rate (HR) baseline measured during regulation period
- Status
- Recruiting
- Last Updated
- last month
Overview
Brief Summary
The primary goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the unique neural and behavioral effects of a one-session training combining emotion regulation skills training, with excitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). The secondary aim is to identify key changes in the emotion regulation neural network following the combined intervention versus each of the components alone. The third aim is to explore personalized biomarkers for response to emotion regulation training.
Participants will undergo brain imaging while engaging in an emotional regulation task. Participants will be randomly assigned to learn one of two emotion regulation skills. Participants will be reminded of recent stressors and will undergo different types of neurostimulation, targeted using fMRI (functional MRI) results. Participants who may practice their emotion regulation skills during neurostimulation in a one-time session. Following this training, participants will undergo another fMRI and an exit interview to assess for immediate neural and behavioral changes. Measures of emotion regulation will be assessed at a one week and a one month follow up visit.
Detailed Description
Emotional dysregulation constitutes a serious public health problem and novel approaches are needed to effectively address it transdiagnostically. Despite rapid advancements in affective and cognitive neuroscience, there have been few attempts to translate basic findings into novel interventions. In addition, the relevance of different nodes in the emotion regulation network to psychopathology and to successful reduction of emotional arousal is not yet fully understood. Noninvasive neurostimulation, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), is a powerful tool with which dysfunction can be alleviated temporarily, by modulating neural activation. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to examine immediate neural and behavioral changes following neuromodulation enhanced emotion regulation training for transdiagnostic adults who report difficulties calming down when upset. The central hypothesis is that neurostimulation enhances the acquisition of emotion regulation skills and leads to remediated neural function in the emotion regulation network. The investigators' long-term goal is to develop novel interventions that harness neuroscientific findings to advance behavioral treatments. The primary aim of this project is to evaluate the unique neural and behavioral effects of a one-session training combining emotion regulation skills with excitatory neurostimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). The secondary aim is to identify key changes in the emotion regulation neural network following the combined intervention versus each of the components alone. The third aim is to explore personalized biomarkers for response to emotion regulation training. To achieve these aims, 240 rTMS naïve, community adults who meet criteria for a DSM-5 disorders (excluding if co-occurring anorexia, moderate to severe alcohol and substance use, bipolar I, or psychotic disorders) and who self-report high emotional dysregulation will participate in brain imaging while undergoing an emotional regulation task. Both structural and functional MRI (fMRI) images will be collected. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups that blend neurostimulation and behavioral skills training in different ways. Participants will be reminded of recent autobiographical stressors and will undergo different types of neurostimulation, targeted using fMRI results. Physiological arousal will be monitored throughout the experimental visit. Following this training, 1 week later, participants will undergo another functional scan to assess for immediate neural and behavioral changes. Bio-behavioral measures of emotion regulation will be assessed at this one week visit. The 1-month follow up will occur 1 month after the one week follow-up visit. At this final follow-up visit, participants will also complete an exit interview that assesses acceptability and expectancies as well as a battery of self reports. One final set of bio-behavioral measures of emotion regulation will be completed as well. If successful, the investigators' line of research will provide key mechanistic information to develop a novel transdiagnostic treatment for DSM-5 disorders.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •age 18 to 55
- •elevated overall score on Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS total score \>=90)
- •has been in the same type of psychotherapy (including none) for the last 4 weeks/1mo (\*except for current CBT) and is willing to stay on the same regimen throughout the study.
- •low self-reported use of cognitive restructuring (ERQ restructuring subscale average score \< 4.7)
- •meets criteria for at least one mood (including Bipolar II w/o current hypomania), anxiety, stressor, OCD, Impulse Control, ADHD, or eating DSM-5 disorder (except exclusionary diagnoses such as severe anorexia). Note: Both current or partial remission of the disorder will be ok for inclusion into the study.
- •verbal agreement to maintain dose of prescribed psychotropic medication (if any) constant throughout the study, provided they are stable on it for the past 4 weeks (except exclusion medication and except if there is a medical emergency requiring changes in medication).
- •Naïve to rTMS
Exclusion Criteria
- •current hypomania (Note: Bipolar II w/o current hypomanic episode is ok for inclusion)
- •meets diagnostic criteria for current or history of psychotic disorder, or psychotic features,
- •meets diagnostic criteria for Bipolar I disorder
- •meets diagnostic criteria on SCID5 for current alcohol or substance use disorder (moderate and high severity) or meets past history of severe alcohol use disorder
- •unable to read, blind, or deaf, or unwilling to give consent
- •non-English speaker,
- •verbal IQ \< 90 on the North American Adult Reading Test (NART).
- •current uncontrolled anorexia or other condition requiring hospitalization
- •high risk for suicide defined as either having attempted suicide in past 6 months or reporting current suicidal ideation that includes a method, plan, or intent to die
- •current serious medical illness, including current severe migraine headaches
Arms & Interventions
Cognitive Restructuring + scalp electrical stimulation
Group 2 (G2) - 80 eligible participants will receive training in CR. These participants will use CR while receiving scalp electrical stimulation over their individual dlPFC target and will partake in short term and long term follow up testing.
Intervention: electrical scalp stimulation
Cognitive Restructuring + Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Group 1 (G1)- 80 eligible participants will receive training in Cognitive Restructuring (CR). These participants will use CR while receiving rTMS over their individual dlPFC target and will partake in short term and long term follow up testing.
Intervention: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Cognitive Restructuring + Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Group 1 (G1)- 80 eligible participants will receive training in Cognitive Restructuring (CR). These participants will use CR while receiving rTMS over their individual dlPFC target and will partake in short term and long term follow up testing.
Intervention: Cognitive Restructuring
Cognitive Restructuring + scalp electrical stimulation
Group 2 (G2) - 80 eligible participants will receive training in CR. These participants will use CR while receiving scalp electrical stimulation over their individual dlPFC target and will partake in short term and long term follow up testing.
Intervention: Cognitive Restructuring
Emotional Awareness Training + Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Group 3 (G3) - 80 eligible participants will receive emotional awareness training. These participants will receive rTMS over their individual dlPFC target and will partake in short term and long term follow up testing.
Intervention: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Emotional Awareness Training + Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
Group 3 (G3) - 80 eligible participants will receive emotional awareness training. These participants will receive rTMS over their individual dlPFC target and will partake in short term and long term follow up testing.
Intervention: Emotional Awareness Training
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Time to return to Heart Rate (HR) baseline measured during regulation period
Time Frame: Within a month of the initial assessment
Following each negative mood induction during the neurostimulation experiment, the time it takes to return baseline HR will be calculated for each of the three regulation periods.
Change in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) for the [restructure-flow_negative] contrast
Time Frame: baseline Neuroimaging Scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up post neurostimulation)
Change in the maximum activation in the dmPFC from pre-post neuroimaging in the contrast of interest
Change in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) for the [restructure-flow_negative] contrast
Time Frame: baseline Neuroimaging Scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up post neurostimulation)
Change in the maximum activation in the vmPFC from pre-post neuroimaging in the contrast of interest
Change in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)-amygdala connectivity during [restructure - flow_negative]
Time Frame: baseline Neuroimaging Scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up post neurostimulation)
Using Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (gPPI) analysis the difference in dlPFC-amygdala connectivity pre-post neuromaging
Change in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) for the [restructure-flow_negative] contrast
Time Frame: baseline Neuroimaging Scan vs post Neuroimaging scan (1 week follow-up post neurostimulation)
Change in the maximum activation in the vlPFC from pre-post neuroimaging in the contrast of interest
High Frequency Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV) during regulation blocks during the neurostimulation day
Time Frame: Within a month of the initial assessment
Calculation of physiological data High frequency HRV (HF-HRV) during regulation blocks during the neurostimulation day accounting for baseline controlling for baseline HF-HRV
Change in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)-insula connectivity during [restructure - flow_negative]
Time Frame: baseline Neuroimaging Scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up post neurostimulation)
Using Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (gPPI) analysis the difference in dlPFC-insula connectivity pre-post neuromaging
Change in the insular cortex for the [restructure-flow_negative] contrast
Time Frame: baseline Neuroimaging Scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up post neurostimulation)
Change in the maximum activation in the insula from pre-post neuroimaging in the contrast of interest
Secondary Outcomes
- HF-HRV during regulation block at follow up(one week follow-up, 1 month follow-up)
- Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) self-report change(Baseline, 1 week follow-up after neurostimulation, 1 month follow-up)
- Change in the dlPFC for the [restructure - flow_negative] contrast(baseline Neuroimaging scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up neurostimulation))
- Time to return to HR baseline measured during regulation period at follow up(one week follow-up, 1 month follow-up)
- Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) self-report change(Baseline, 1 week follow-up after neurostimulation, 1 month follow-up)
- Change in the amygdala for the [restructure - flow_negative] contrast(baseline Neuroimaging scan, post Neuroimaging Scan (1 week follow-up neurostimulation))
- Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) self-report change(Baseline, 1 week follow-up after neurostimulation, 1 month follow-up)
- Cognitive Skills Questionnaire (CSQ) self-report change(Baseline, 1 week follow-up after neurostimulation, 1 month follow-up)
- Self Efficacy with Emotion Regulation (PROMIS-SEME)(Baseline, 1 week follow-up after neurostimulation, 1 month follow-up)
- Change in subjective units of distress (SUDS)(Neurostimulation visit (which will occur within a month of the initial assessment))