Augmented Mindfulness Training for Resilience in Early Life

Early life adversity (ELA) is a major public health crisis that results in significant disruptions in neurobiological processes and long-term psychiatric and health consequences, yet very little is known about interventions that may prevent them and the optimal time to do so. Not only is ELA associated with earlier onset and greater severity and comorbidity of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, these individuals also evidence significantly poorer responses to psychological and pharmacological interventions when treated for these conditions. Consequently, there is a dire need to develop preventive interventions that target individuals with ELA exposure. The first step in this process is to establish malleability of neural mechanisms disrupted by ELA exposure to acute interventions. We use augmented mindfulness training, that is, a standard mindfulness training combined with real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) to influence and increase the plasticity of brain areas affected by ELA, in turn affecting state changes in symptoms in youth with ELA exposure. These fMRI tasks are designed to engage the PCC and mindfulness practice.

Over the course of three years, 120 eligible youth with early life adversity or healthy controls will be recruited into the study. All healthy controls will receive AMT, and ELA-exposed youth will be randomly assigned to AMT, consisting of real-time fMRI with neurofeedback during mindfulness practice, or Sham, consisting of artificially calculated neurofeedback signals during mindfulness practice. Adolescents will complete self-report measures to assess state affective symptoms before and after receiving mindfulness training and scanning, and again one week later.

Inclusion criteria

Healthy controls (n=48):

• Age 13.00 - 17.99 years at time of baseline assessment
• Able to validly and safely complete baseline assessments
• All genders
• All races

ELA-exposed participants (n=72):

• Age 13.00 - 17.99 years at time of baseline assessment
• Able to validly and safely complete baseline assessments
• All genders
• All races
• Endorsing 4 or more types of maltreatments on the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology and Exposure (MACE) scale, OR meeting the cutoff score on 2 or more of the 5 subscales on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ):

Sexual abuse ≥ 8 Physical abuse ≥ 8 Emotional abuse ≥ 10 Physical neglect ≥ 8 Emotional neglect ≥ 15

• Moderate levels of depression or anxiety (one standard deviation above the mean) as measured by the NIH PROMIS measures

Exclusion criteria

All participants:

• No biological parent or legal guardian identified to give permission for minor to participate
• History of neurological disorders including seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, or other conditions requiring neurological or medical care, being managed for migraines (e.g., daily prophylactic medication, seeing a neurologist for migraines), or a diagnosis of Developmental Delay, including severe learning disorder, mental retardation, autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental disorder, or other conditions requiring repeated and persistent specialized education.
• Current psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, substance use disorder, conduct problems (i.e., conduct or oppositional defiant disorder).
• Current use of medications with major effects on brain function or blood flow (e.g., antipsychotics, acne medications). For ELA-exposed participants, the use of one (1) medication (e.g., SSRI's, ADHD medications) will not be exclusionary permitting that participant has been on a stable dosage for at least 6 weeks prior to study enrollment.
• MRI contraindications including: cardiac pacemaker, metal fragments in eyes/skin/body (shrapnel), aortic/aneurysm clips, prosthesis, by-pass surgery/coronary artery clips, hearing aid, heart valve replacement, shunt (ventricular or spinal), electrodes, metal plates/pins/screws/wires, or neuro/bio-stimulators (TENS unit), persons who have ever been a professional metal worker/welder, history of eye surgery/eyes washed out because of metal, vision problems uncorrectable with lenses, inability to lie still on one's back for 60-120 minutes; prior neurosurgery; tattoos or cosmetic makeup with metal dyes, unwillingness to remove body piercings, and pregnancy
• Unwillingness or inability to complete any of the major aspects of the study protocol, including magnetic resonance imaging (i.e., due to claustrophobia) or behavioral assessment. However, failing to complete some individual aspects of these assessment sessions will be acceptable (i.e., being unwilling to answer individual items on some questionnaires).
• Severe claustrophobia
• Not fluent in English
• Weight less than 100 lbs.
• Non-correctable vision, hearing or sensorimotor impairments, as protocol elements may not be valid
• Youth planning to move to an area not within reasonable traveling distance of LIBR; knowledge at baseline that treatment completion/follow-up will not be possible
• Youth appears to be high/intoxicated, or withdrawing from the effects of alcohol or drugs at time of enrollment

Healthy controls:

• History of or current psychiatric illness
• Endorsing 2 or more types of maltreatments on the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology and Exposure (MACE) scale, or meeting the cutoff score on one or more of the subscales on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) Sexual abuse ≥ 8 Physical abuse ≥ 8 Emotional abuse ≥ 10 Physical neglect ≥ 8 Emotional neglect ≥ 15
• Current use of medications with major effects on brain function or blood flow (e.g., antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, ADHD medications, SSRIs, and acne medications).