How to Use Transcranial Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation to Enhance Mindfulness

Abstract

This investigation explores the application of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), specifically transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS), to enhance mindfulness and meditation practices. The research investigates the potential of tFUS to modulate brain activity, particularly within the Default Mode Network (DMN) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), areas linked to self-referential thoughts and the sense of self, which are often targeted in meditation practices.The dissertation comprises three main studies. The first chapter is a scoping review that synthesizes current research on enhancing mindfulness through various NIBS techniques, focusing on their methodologies and effectiveness in doing so. The review concludes that while most studies target cognitive control enhancements via the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a more promising approach could be the suppression of PCC and DMN activity to aid in improving mindfulness skills. The second and third chapters detail empirical studies where tFUS is applied directly. The second study, a pilot study using fMRI, assesses the effects of tFUS on the DMN in healthy subjects, demonstrating that tFUS targeted at the PCC can reduce DMN functional connectivity and enhance the subjective experience of mindfulness. The third study employs concurrent EEG and tFUS in experienced meditators to build on the previous findings, though it faces technical challenges that limit its conclusive power. Overall, the dissertation aims to bridge gaps between neuromodulation technologies and mindfulness practices, suggesting that tFUS could be a powerful tool for enhancing mental training techniques inherent in meditation. The research underscores the potential for NIBS paradigms that manipulate subjective experiences to be used not only to improve mental health outcomes, but to advance the cognitive neuroscience of meditation and consciousness by contributing to the development of causal theoretical models. The findings invite further investigation into the mechanisms of tFUS and its broader applications in scientific and therapeutic settings.