Neuromodulation-assisted Ego-disengagement: The NEURO-EGO Study
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether brain stimulation technology can help people reach a meditative state quickly and easily without years of meditation training. The researchers want to see if this will help people distance themselves from their thoughts and feeling, and if this will lead to improvements in openness and wellbeing the same way meditation can. Participants will: * Complete questionnaires * Perform a guided meditation task (The Bell Task) * Wear a high density electrocochleography (hdEEG) cap * Undergo brain stimulation
Description
This study is being done to evaluate the relative effectiveness of distinct types of non-invasive brain stimulation - NIBS (TES-TI and TES) on subjective ego disengagement and cortical activity in experienced meditators and meditation naïve healthy adults. Stage 1a was designed to establish the optimal level of stimulation to achieve ego displacement in experienced meditators. Stage 1b used the level of stimulation established in 1a to discern the region of the posteromedial cortex (PMC) where disruption is most effective in achieving ego displacement in experienced meditators. This stage, st…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults, ages 18 to 80 of any identified gender * Medically healthy * English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires) * Healthy adults who are meditation-naïve * Citizen or legal resident Exclusion Criteria: * Any current or past history of neurological disorders or acquired neurological disease (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury), including intracranial lesions * Any current or past history of bipolar disorder and/or hypomania * Any current or past history of psychosis * History of head trauma resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness; or a…
Interventions
- DeviceTranscranial electrical stimulation (TES)
TES uses specific electrode arrangement patterns to selectively stimulate the brain. Participants will wear an hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) cap which will allow intermittent periods of stimulation from TES.
- DeviceTranscranial electrical stimulation with temporal interference (TES-TI)
TES-TI uses specific electrode arrangement patterns to selectively stimulate the brain. Participants will wear an hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) cap which will allow intermittent periods of stimulation from TES-TI.
Location
- University of WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin