Facilitating Meditation with Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation in Both Experts and Novices
Poster No:
90
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Joshua Cain1, Tracy Brandmeyer1, Ninette Simonian1, Jay Sanguinetti2, Shinzen Young2, Matthew Sacchet3, Nicco Reggente1
Institutions:
1Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, 2University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ, 3Meditation Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medic, Boston, MA
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Matthew Sacchet
Meditation Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medic
Boston, MA
Meditation Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medic
Boston, MA
Introduction:
Here, we first investigate if focused ultrasound (FUS) neuromodulation-which is uniquely capable of producing spatially precise[1] brain stimulation, non-invasively, anywhere in the brain[2]-may be leveraged to assist in the development of a fruitful meditation practice. Growing empirical evidence supports meditation's benefits wellbeing, protecting both psychological[3] and physical health[4]–[7]. However, even with extant meditation-assistance (e.g., mobile applications, neurofeedback[8]), many struggle to regularly practice[9]. FUS now offers the ability to directly alter the activity of known neural correlates of meditation[10]–[12], avoiding many limitations of EEG (spatial resolution, questionable efficacy[13]) and MRI[14] (cost)-based neurofeedback. Here, we directly inhibit[2] three candidate regions derived from prior findings[10]–[12]-the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), bilateral caudate (CAUD), or bilateral ventral anterior insula during meditation in 36 expert and 36 novice Vipassana meditators while multimodal data streams record effects on phenomenology and physiology during and after meditation/FUS.
Methods:
36 Expert Vipassana practitioners (>5y consistent practice, >20m, 5d/w), 36 Novice practitioners (no meditation experience or spiritual practice).
Novices are trained over 1w, 4 sessions, 3h guided meditation, and assessed for skill.
All subjects participate in 5 sessions (Fig. 1c).
S1:Baseline trait questionnaire and MRI scanning (T1 for targeting, DTI, fMRI).
S2-5:Subjects report expectations, mood, and sleep quality.
Subjects are seated and comfortably secured in place while FUS-emitting transducers target one region. For 1 session/subject, a FUS-blocking gel pad provides a sham control (Fig 1d; detection n.s.).
1-hour vipassana meditation. Beginning at minute 12, 12m of FUS inhibition[2] begins. Every ~4m(+-30s) subjects report meditative depth and "intensity" (any altered phenomenology) from 1-5, while heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), respiration rate, and galvanic skin response are measured.
Post-questionnaires record phenomenology during meditation-e.g., quality of meditation via Meditation Depth Index[15] and broader metrics (e.g., Profile of Mood States[16]).
All online measures (during meditation, e.g., depth, HRV) are assessed for a main effect of condition (CAUD/PCC/SHAM/INSU) within each 4m segment of meditation. Each (Offline) battery within the post-questionnaire is independently assessed for a main effect of condition with appropriate follow-ups.
Sig. findings are regressed on trait data (e.g., meditation experience, connectivity measures). MRI measures include functional and structural connectivity between targets and the whole brain.
A completely novel innovation, new methods[17] allow us to relate expected[18], [19] variation in FUS energy deposition to behavioral/physiological effects for each brain voxel, producing fMRI-esc spatial maps of what tissue drives our effects.
Novices are trained over 1w, 4 sessions, 3h guided meditation, and assessed for skill.
All subjects participate in 5 sessions (Fig. 1c).
S1:Baseline trait questionnaire and MRI scanning (T1 for targeting, DTI, fMRI).
S2-5:Subjects report expectations, mood, and sleep quality.
Subjects are seated and comfortably secured in place while FUS-emitting transducers target one region. For 1 session/subject, a FUS-blocking gel pad provides a sham control (Fig 1d; detection n.s.).
1-hour vipassana meditation. Beginning at minute 12, 12m of FUS inhibition[2] begins. Every ~4m(+-30s) subjects report meditative depth and "intensity" (any altered phenomenology) from 1-5, while heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), respiration rate, and galvanic skin response are measured.
Post-questionnaires record phenomenology during meditation-e.g., quality of meditation via Meditation Depth Index[15] and broader metrics (e.g., Profile of Mood States[16]).
All online measures (during meditation, e.g., depth, HRV) are assessed for a main effect of condition (CAUD/PCC/SHAM/INSU) within each 4m segment of meditation. Each (Offline) battery within the post-questionnaire is independently assessed for a main effect of condition with appropriate follow-ups.
Sig. findings are regressed on trait data (e.g., meditation experience, connectivity measures). MRI measures include functional and structural connectivity between targets and the whole brain.
A completely novel innovation, new methods[17] allow us to relate expected[18], [19] variation in FUS energy deposition to behavioral/physiological effects for each brain voxel, producing fMRI-esc spatial maps of what tissue drives our effects.
·Figure 1. A: Subject and equipment prior to meditation. B: Simulations of FUS foci for each target. C: Study design, FUS parameters. D. Gel pad for transducer-head coupling, FUS permeable (clear) and
Results:
Preliminary data in experts (n=14; full 36 by OHBM) suggests a substantial improvement in meditative depth during/after caudate FUS (vs. Sham), both in online probes and offline questionnaires (Fig. 2a,b,d). Caudate FUS also reduced HR and increased HRV and induced a high correlation between each measure and depth (p<0.0001). FUS simulations predict increased depth in sessions where more FUS pressure was found in caudate tissue (Fig. 2e). Similar, weaker effects of PCC FUS were found.
More limited data in novices(n=6; 36 by OHBM)reveals no clear trends.
More limited data in novices(n=6; 36 by OHBM)reveals no clear trends.
·Figure 2. A: Online depth in experts (smoothed), active FUS conditions vs. sham, solid lines depict significant portions. B: CAUD depth (vs. Sham) in in experts, 4m blocks, p values. C: HR, HRV in CAU
Conclusions:
Highly convergent multimodal data supports the notion that caudate FUS increases meditative depth, which strongly correlates with adaptive physiological changes. No such correlation during Sham FUS suggests a mechanistic relationship between physiological changes and successful meditation induced by caudate FUS. Our ambitious first look at FUS-based meditative aids has produced extremely hopeful preliminary results.
Brain Stimulation:
Sonic/Ultrasound 1
Perception, Attention and Motor Behavior:
Consciousness and Awareness 2
Keywords:
Consciousness
Open Data
Pre-registration
ULTRASOUND
Other - Meditation
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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