Electroencephalographic biomarkers of response to vibroacoustically-augmented breath-focused mindfulness

Dissociation is a transdiagnostic, and disabling phenomenon that involves detachment from the self or surroundings. It occurs in the context of many trauma and stress-related disorders, and is a barrier to recovery in first-line treatments. Dissociation is characterized by disruptions in attention and interoception, and has been frequently observed in Black

communities as a response to racial stressors. Mindfulness meditation, including breath-focused mindfulness meditation (BFM), is designed to enhance interoceptive awareness to physiological signals (breath), but is often a difficult task for dissociative people, who experience disruptions in attention and interoception. Exteroceptive feedback enhances interoceptive awareness and

attention in experimental studies and may similarly facilitate changes in brain oscillatory patterns, including alpha and theta power measured via electroencephalography (EEG) which correspond with attention and interoceptive awareness. EEG studies have largely excluded Black populations due to data quality challenges related to use with Black hair; however, there

are strategies to address these issues. As such, the goal of this project is to 1) use EEG in a sample of trauma-exposed dissociative Black individuals to examine potential changes in alpha and theta power during BFM augmented with exteroceptive feedback. This is delivered by a unique device that vibrates in concert with respiration, which may enhance body agency and

efficiently engage attention and interoception networks; 2) provide didactic and experiential training on the use of EEG in clinical neuroscience research for a diverse group of trainees at different stages of professional development. We will recruit 36 trauma-exposed Black individuals with clinically significant dissociation, divided in 4 equal groups to yield a 2x2 (BFM

or non-judgmental awareness x with or without vibroacoustic stimulation) design. All participants attend 8 sessions of their assigned intervention. We will use EEG to examine potential change in alpha and theta power with changes in attention and interoception from pre- and post- intervention. We will examine, in Aim 1, whether changes in alpha and theta power correspond

with change in attention, interoception and clinical changes, and whether BFM with vibration feedback significantly moderates these changes. For Aim 2, we will provide hands-on training on the use of EEG in clinical neuroscience research settings, with a particular focus on optimizing EEG data collection and quality control with Black populations. Our ultimate goal is to

create a sustainable program of psychiatric EEG research at Emory University School of Medicine that is optimized for use with Black participants