Mindfulness clinical trials at UCSD

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved therapy for treatment resistant depression (TRD) that involves brief magnetic stimulation pulses on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) brain region. But studies of rTMS alone show remission rates of ~30%. Additionally, rTMS has not been shown to improve cognitive functioning that may be an independent factor predicting treatment success. This study will develop a novel multimodal treatment, which combines intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) - a type of rTMS with digital mindfulness training to engage brain plasticity, enhance cognition and alleviate depression symptoms in individuals with TRD.

The primary aim of this implementation-effectiveness trial is to examine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) and patient-centered chronic pain management visits in primary care as interventions to reduce chronic pain, improve quality of life, and reduce opioid-related harms among chronic pain patients on long-term opioid therapy.

The VA wants to understand what type of integrative and whole health approaches are helpful for Veterans. The study is comparing two primary care based mental health treatments, a mindfulness class that teaches mindfulness meditation and a problem-solving class that teaches problem-solving skills and how to build resilience, for Veterans who are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or PTSD. The goal of the study is to understand if the classes reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or PTSD and increase overall functioning.

This pilot randomized controlled trial will compare a novel mindfulness training to interoceptive exposure to establish feasibility and acceptability as an intervention for anxiety sensitivity.