Publications by authors named "J R SANGUINETTI"
Enhancing Equanimity with Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: A Novel Framework for Mindfulness Interventions.
Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging
December 2024
Mindfulness has gained widespread recognition for its benefits to mental health, cognitive performance, and wellbeing. However, the multifaceted nature of mindfulness, encompassing elements like attentional focus, emotional regulation, and present-moment awareness, complicates its definition and measurement. A key component that may underlie its broad benefits is equanimity - the ability to maintain an open and non-reactive attitude toward all sensory experiences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltrasound stimulation of the vagus nerve as a treatment modality for anxiety.
Front Psychiatry
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Anxiety is a growing mental health issue that affects personal wellbeing and the economy, with traditional treatments showing limited effectiveness and potential side effects.
- Non-invasive ultrasound stimulation of the vagus nerve presents a promising, low-cost alternative that has shown positive preliminary results and fewer complications compared to existing therapies.
- The review discusses various studies on ultrasonic stimulation's effects on vagus nerve activity, highlighting the urgent need for better treatment options as anxiety rates rise in younger generations.
Article Synopsis
- Transcranial focused ultrasound (TFUS) is a new technique designed to temporarily change brain activity, and its impact on the default mode network (DMN) was unexplored before this study.
- The research involved 30 healthy participants who underwent either active TFUS or sham treatment, with assessments of brain connectivity and subjective effects on mood, mindfulness, and self-awareness before and after the procedure.
- Results showed that active TFUS significantly altered DMN connectivity and affected participants' mindfulness and sense of self, indicating its potential for both research and therapeutic applications.
Recent reviews highlighted low-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound (TUS) as a promising new tool for non-invasive neuromodulation in basic and applied sciences. Our preregistered double-blind within-subjects study (N = 152) utilized TUS targeting the right prefrontal cortex, which, in earlier work, was found to positively enhance self-reported global mood, decrease negative states of self-reported emotional conflict (anxiety/worrying), and modulate related midfrontal functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in affect regulation brain networks. To further explore TUS effects on objective physiological and behavioral variables, we used a virtual T-maze task that has been established in prior studies to measure motivational conflicts regarding whether participants execute approach versus withdrawal behavior (with free-choice responses via continuous joystick movements) while allowing to record related electroencephalographic data such as midfrontal theta activity (MFT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Masting is when trees produce a lot of seeds at different times, which helps them survive by confusing animals that eat seeds.
- However, this can be bad for the animals that help trees spread their seeds because they rely on a steady food supply.
- Researchers found that some trees avoid masting to keep their disperser animals happy, especially in different climates and depending on how much nutrients they need to grow.