Mindfulness-Based fMRI Neurofeedback for Depression

Summary

In the United States, adolescents experience alarmingly high rates of major depression, and gold-standard treatments are only effective for approximately half of patients. Rumination may be a promising treatment target, as it is well-characterized at the neural level and contributes to depression onset, maintenance, and recurrence as well as predicts treatment non-response. Accordingly, the proposed research will investigate whether an innovative mindfulness-based real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback intervention successfully elicits change in the brain circuit underlying rumination to improve clinical outcomes among depressed adolescents.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* Ages 13-18 years-old
* Written informed assent/consent and parental/guardian permission for 13-17 year-olds or informed consent for 18 year-olds
* Tanner puberty stage ≥3
* Meets current diagnostic criteria for MDD
* English fluency

Exclusion Criteria:

* Lifetime history of primary psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, developmental disorder (e.g., autism), post-traumatic stress disorder, or eating disorders
* Substance use disorder, moderate or severe in past 6 months
* Active suicidal ideation with a specific plan
* History of seizure disorder
* Medical or neurological illness (e.g., severe head injury)
* MRI contraindications
* Current psychotropic medication use other than antidepressant medication
* Intelligence quotient (IQ) \<80.

Conditions3

Locations2 sites

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