Healthy
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to determine if a new technology applied while listening to a mindfulness meditation tape can affect one's ability to achieve a state of mindfulness. The new technology is called transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS.
Detailed description
Many people initially attempt meditation but cannot get their mind to be still. Or they do not get quick results and find it frustrating. Thus, the number of people benefiting from meditation would increase if there were a method of making it easier to perform. Moreover, establishing the actual brain mechanisms involved in the benefits of meditation would potentially open up synergistic treatments and approaches. The investigators will investigate the use of a new, non-invasive brain stimulation method called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to augment a state of mindfulness. tDCS is a safe, inexpensive, non-invasive brain stimulation modality that has the capability of focally increasing or decreasing cortical activity. Anodal stimulation produces positive DC stimulation and is associated with increased cortical activity, whereas Cathodal stimulation produces a negative DC stimulation and is associated with decreased cortical activity. Cortical activity changes occur both during and after stimulation in a dose response fashion (higher current density and longer duration of stimulation produces larger and longer lasting effects). The investigators will be investigating the use of tDCS to augment mindfulness meditation in a double-blind, crossover, randomized, sham-controlled trial.
Interventions
DEVICEtDCS via Chattanooga Ionto Iontophoresis System-Phoresor
Small electrical current delivered non-invasively to the scalp. 1mA electrical current to Meditation and Active Stimulation 1 condition. 2mA to Meditation and Active 2 Stimulation condition.
DEVICESham tDCS Chattanooga Ionto Iontophoresis System-Phoresor
Blinds participants to meditation condition by applying 30 seconds of real stimulation and then turning the device off.
Sponsors
Medical University of South Carolina
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy control volunteers. * meditation naive
Exclusion criteria
* Pregnancy, * History of Mental illness or neurological disorders, * prior meditative experiences
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from Baseline Mood Visual Analog Scale (Mood VAS) at Post Stimulation of Experimental Visit One | Baseline (Visit 1/Week 1) Post Stimulation (Visit 1/Week 1). Through Visit 1 completion, an average of 25 minutes | During Experimental Visit 1 the participant will complete the Mood Visual Analog Scale before listening to a meditative tape recording and receiving either active tDCS or sham tDCS for 20 minutes. The participant will then fill out the Mood Visual Analog Scale post stimulation. |
| Change from Baseline Mood Visual Analog Scale (Mood VAS) at Post Stimulation of Experimental Visit Two | Baseline (Visit 2/Week 2) Post Stimulation (Visit 2/Week 2). Through Visit 2 completion, an average of 25 minutes | During Experimental Visit 2 the participant will complete the Mood Visual Analog Scale before listening to a meditative tape recording and receiving either active tDCS or sham tDCS for 20 minutes. The participant will then fill out the Mood Visual Analog Scale post stimulation. |
| Change from Baseline Mood Visual Analog Scale (Mood VAS) at Post Stimulation of Experimental Visit Three | Baseline (Visit 3/Week 3) Post Stimulation (Visit 3/Week 3). Through Visit 3 completion, an average of 25 minutes | During Experimental Visit 3 the participant will complete the Mood Visual Analog Scale before listening to a meditative tape recording and receiving either active tDCS or sham tDCS for 20 minutes. The participant will then fill out the Mood Visual Analog Scale post stimulation. |
Outcome results
None listed