NCT06601699

Neuromodulation-assisted Ego-disengagement: The NEURO-EGO Study Stage 2

Neuromodulation-assisted Ego-disengagement: The NEURO-EGO Study

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 48 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether brain stimulation technology can help people reach a meditative state quickly and easily without years of meditation training. The researchers want to see if this will help people distance themselves from their thoughts and feeling, and if this will lead to improvements in openness and wellbeing the same way meditation can. Participants will: * Complete questionnaires * Perform a guided meditation task (The Bell Task) * Wear a high density electrocochleography (hdEEG) cap * Undergo brain stimulation

Detailed description

This study is being done to evaluate the relative effectiveness of distinct types of non-invasive brain stimulation - NIBS (TES-TI and TES) on subjective ego disengagement and cortical activity in experienced meditators and meditation naïve healthy adults. Stage 1a was designed to establish the optimal level of stimulation to achieve ego displacement in experienced meditators. Stage 1b used the level of stimulation established in 1a to discern the region of the posteromedial cortex (PMC) where disruption is most effective in achieving ego displacement in experienced meditators. This stage, stage 2 will use the most effective stimulation and PMC parameters to meditation naïve healthy adults. Primary Objective (stage 2): \- To evaluate the effectiveness of NIBS on ego disengagement and cortical activity in meditation naïve healthy adults acutely and longitudinally Secondary Objectives (stage 2): * Evaluate the relationships between NIBS, ego-disengagement, and trait assessments openness and wellbeing * Evaluate the effect of the use of topical anesthetics on the EEG response evoked by NIBS

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES)	TES uses specific electrode arrangement patterns to selectively stimulate the brain. Participants will wear an hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) cap which will allow intermittent periods of stimulation from TES.
DEVICE	Transcranial electrical stimulation with temporal interference (TES-TI)	TES-TI uses specific electrode arrangement patterns to selectively stimulate the brain. Participants will wear an hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) cap which will allow intermittent periods of stimulation from TES-TI.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-08-27
• Primary completion: 2027-07-01
• Completion: 2028-07-01
• First posted: 2024-09-19
• Last updated: 2025-11-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study