Symposium
Application of non-invasive neuromodulation tools in clinical psychology: From basic affective neuroscience to clinical translations
Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt (1) and Alexandre Heeren (2)
(1) Ugent; (2) UCLouvain
The use of non-invasive neuromodulation tools to unravel brain-behavior interactions related to the top-down regulation of emotions in both healthy and clinical populations has increasingly gained traction in the last few years. In this symposium, researchers from different Belgian universities (UGent, UCLouvain, ULB) will present up-to-date research on the use of different neuromodulation techniques to improve emotion regulation and related clinical phenomena. Moreover, novel perspectives regarding the use of neuromodulation for research and clinic purposes will be presented. In the first presentation, Stefanie de Smet (UGent) will present a study about the impacts of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS)— a new neuromodulation approach—on emotion regulation and rumination. In the second presentation, Yorgo Hoebeke (UCLouvain) will present a systematic review on the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to experimentally target rumination. In the third presentation, Aurore Monnart (ULB) will present a study showing the beneficial impact of tDCS combined with mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) among patients with drug-resistant depression. In the fourth presentation, Charlotte Coussement (UCLouvain & Beau Vallon Psychiatric Hospital) will highlight the moderating role of anxiety and depression severity at baseline in the beneficial impact of anodal tDCS on executive control. Finally, Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt (UGent) and Alexandre Heeren (UCLouvain) will serve as discussants (5-min period) of the entire symposium. They will give their views on future research directions in the field of affective neuroscience.
Speaker 1: The effects of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) on emotion regulation and rumination
Stefanie de Smet (1), Chris Baeken (1,3,4), Kristl Vonck (1), Nina Seminck (1), Jozefien Tilleman (1) and Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt (1,2)
(1) Ghent University Hospital; (2) UGent; (3) University Hospital Brussels (UZBrussel);
(4) Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
(4) Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), a relatively new neuromodulation technique, has recently been proposed as a potential new tool in the treatment of clinical disorders such as major depressive disorder. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that tVNS is able to modulate brain activity in key regions involved in depression and emotion regulation. However, fundamental studies in healthy subjects are lacking and may provide useful insights in the working mechanisms of tVNS on affective processes. In this between-subject study, 83 healthy subjects underwent a single-session of active tVNS or sham stimulation. The effects of tVNS on emotion regulation were examined using a psychosocial stress task and a computer-based emotion regulation task. The stress task induced significant physiological changes, as indicated by increased levels of heart rate and skin conductance and, decreased levels of heart rate variability during the stress task. However, no differences in physiological stress regulation were found between active tVNS and sham stimulation. Rumination, a form of negative emotion regulation, was significantly reduced in the active tVNS group, whereas no such changes were found in the sham condition. In addition, participants receiving active tVNS, compared to sham, were better at using cognitive reappraisal strategies in an emotion regulation task and rated their response to negative, emotion-eliciting pictures at less intense. Interestingly, no differences between groups were found in terms of physiological arousal to the emotional content. Implications of these results for further studies using tVNS, in healthy and neuropsychiatric samples, will be discussed.
Speaker 2: Targeting rumination via transcranial direct current stimulation: A systematic review
Yorgo Hoebeke (1), Olivier Desmedt (1), Betül Özçimen (2) and Alexandre Heeren (1)
(1) UCLouvain; (2) Anglia Ruskin University, UK
Broadly considered as a transdiagnostic feature of anxiety, mood, and stress-related disorders, rumination is associated with slower treatment response, lower rates of recovery, and higher rates of relapse. Accordingly, research has focused on the development of rumination-focused treatment. Recently, transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), mostly applied over the frontal brain areas (as a proxy of attention control), has emerged as a potential new tool for targeting rumination. Yet, study-to-study variations in stimulation, targeted brain regions, and research protocols preclude a comprehensive understanding of the impact of tDCS on rumination. To tackle this issue, we conducted a preregistered systematic review of the published studies aiming at modifying rumination via tDCS. Only sham-controlled studies reporting the effects of tDCS on at least one measure of rumination among healthy participants or patients with psychiatric disorders were included. Moreover, we also assessed risk of methodological bias in this field. Implications for both basic and clinical research in the field of rumination will be discussed. Methodological recommendations for future studies will also be discussed.
Speaker 3: Treatment of resistant depression: A pilot study assessing the efficacy of
a tDCS-mindfulness program compared with a tDCS-relaxation
a tDCS-mindfulness program compared with a tDCS-relaxation
Elisa Schoder (1,2), Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt (3,4), Aurore Monnart (1,2),
Savaltore Campanella (1,2), Philippe Fontaine (5) and Charles Kornreich (1,2)
Savaltore Campanella (1,2), Philippe Fontaine (5) and Charles Kornreich (1,2)
(1) Brugmann University Hopistal; (2) ULB; (3) Ghent University Hospital; (4) UGent; (5) CHU de Charleroi
This pilot study explores a therapeutic setting combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for patients with drug-resistant depression. tDCS has shown efficacy for depression treatment and improvement could be maintained with the combination with mindfulness, which has shown depression relapse-prevention properties. Thirty-one treatment-resistant depressed patients have been assigned to our experimental treatment condition [tDCS combined with MBCT (n = 15)] or to a control condition [tDCS combined with relaxation (n = 16)]. Patients have completed both an intensive treatment block (eight consecutive days) and a single remind session 2 weeks after the intensive treatment. Clinical (depression, anxiety, and rumination) and cognitive (general cognitive functioning, mental flexibility, and working memory) symptoms of depression have been assessed through different questionnaires at baseline (t0), after the first block of treatment (t1), and after the remind session (t2). Results seem to indicate a positive impact of both treatment conditions on clinical and cognitive symptoms of depression at t1. However, the treatment condition combining tDCS with mindfulness has been found to better maintain clinical improvements at t2 regarding some clinical [Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Sadness and Anger Ruminative Inventory (SARI)] and cognitive variables (Digit Span-F and Digit Span-B). Based on the current observations, a multi-disciplinary treatment approach combining tDCS and MBCT might be effective in resistant depressed patients in the long run, even though further clinical research is necessary.
Speaker 4: The impact of anodal tDCS on attentional networks as a function of the severity of anxiety
and depression symptoms at baseline: A preregistered double-blind sham-controlled experiment
and depression symptoms at baseline: A preregistered double-blind sham-controlled experiment
Charlotte Coussement (1,2), Monica Riesco de Vega (3) and Alexandre Heeren (1)
(1) UCLouvain; (2) Beau Vallon Psychiatric Hospital; (3) Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain
Recent research has suggested that one may modulate attentional networks (i.e., alerting, orienting, and executive conflict networks), and especially the executive conflict network, via transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied over the dorsolateral part of the left prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Yet, prior research (including meta-analyses) have shown that anodal tDCS over left dlPFC may yield larger impacts (i.e., effect sizes) on cognitive tasks among either depressive or anxious samples than among healthy ones Accordingly, in the present preregistered study, we aimed at examining whether the magnitude of the improvement in the efficiency of the executive control network during anodal tDCS, as compared to sham tDCS, was predicted by severity of depression and anxiety symptoms in an unselected sample (n = 50). To do so, we adopted a double-blind within-subject protocol in which we delivered a single-session of anodal versus sham transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the left dlPFC during the completion of a task assessing attention networks. In accordance with our prediction, we found that the impact of anodal tDCS on executive control was modulated by the intensity of depression and anxiety symptomatology at baseline. Both theoretical and clinical implications will be discussed.
