Mindfulness-Based fMRI Neurofeedback for Depression

Description

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.

Conditions

Depression in Adolescence, Rumination

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

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.

Targeting Adolescent Depression Symptoms Using Network-based Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback and Mindfulness Meditation (NIMH); Mindfulness-Based Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback for Depression (IRB)

Mindfulness-Based fMRI Neurofeedback for Depression

Condition
Depression in Adolescence
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Boston

Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115

New York

CUIMC, New York, New York, United States, 10032

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility 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
  • * 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.

Ages Eligible for Study

13 Years to 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Columbia University,

Study Record Dates

2026-06-30