Patrick Eagen
Pronouns: he/him/his
Research Mentor(s): Jung Park, Clinical Subjects Coordinator
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychiatry, Michigan Medicine
Presentation Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021
Session: Session 5 (3pm-3:50pm)
Breakout Room: Room 13
Presenter: 5
Abstract
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) results from events that are especially frightening, horrible, or traumatic, and is accompanied by symptoms of intrusive thoughts, avoidance, hyperarousal, and guilt. While PTSD is often associated with combat veterans, it can affect anyone who has experienced a traumatic event. Our project, Neural Mechanisms of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is looking to utilize mindfulness as a treatment for PTSD and to investigate the neural mechanisms behind symptom improvement. Mindfulness-based therapies have already proven to be effective in treating psychiatric conditions and increased connectivity between the central executive network and default mode network based on previous studies with combat-related PTSD depression, and nonclinical populations. We now want to apply these results to people with civilian PTSD. We hypothesize that mindfulness increases activity in executive functioning and its connectivity to the default mode network, an area of the brain that is associated with the mind-wandering activity that exacerbates the symptoms of PTSD. Our study is a randomized controlled clinical trial where the participants are randomly assigned between a control group or a treatment group. The active control group receives Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy (PMR), of which we know improves symptoms but does not change brain connectivity. The treatment group receives MBCT, which involves learning how to pay attention to one’s body sensations, emotions, and thoughts. A clinical assessment, self-report questionnaire, and fMRI are completed before and after treatment to evaluate changes in PTSD symptoms and neural activity. While PTSD already has effective treatments, they often focus on exposure, which can be so difficult for some patients that they forego therapy altogether. If results align with our hypothesis, we will be able to draw conclusions about how to contribute to the diversification and efficacy of new PTSD treatments in order to give patients more options that work best for them.
Authors: Patrick Eagen, Kerra Hinrichs, Jung Park
Research Method: Clinical Research
Lab Website: https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/mindfulness-lab/research?authuser=0
