Where Discovery Creates Hope

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A monthly series:

Where Discovery Creates Hope

Natalie’s Story: Help and hope for those who haven’t found what they’re looking for yet

Since middle school, Natalie Narvaez has struggled with depression, which she describes as a feeling of “dread.” Over the years, she’s seen five therapists. She’s also tried medication, but it only made her feel worse.

Understandably, the freshman was all in when researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School asked her to participate in a study exploring a possible new treatment: Brain stimulation paired with mindful breathing.

Watch Natalie's Story

Since middle school, Natalie Narvaez has struggled with depression, which she describes as a feeling of “dread.” Over the years, she’s seen five therapists. She’s also tried medication, but it only made her feel worse.

Understandably, the freshman was all in when researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School asked her to participate in a study exploring a possible new treatment: Brain stimulation paired with mindful breathing.

“It’s wonderful that the U of M is putting resources and time into looking for other options for people like me,” Natalie says. “People who haven’t found what they’re looking for yet.”

Tori and husband

There’s no health without mental health

“We know that over 40 percent of our freshmen at this university – and I’m sure every university – come with a mental health diagnosis,” says Dr. Jakub Tolar, dean of the medical school.

“My team is going after the problem. Going after what is causing somebody like Natalie to be sad to the point that is almost indescribable.”

When we’re young, our brains, made up of billions of neurons, are growing and changing. During this developmental window, the young brain is vulnerable to insults that can negatively impact how neurons connect to each other. Can those cells that seem to be locked into a "negative feedback loop" be redirected?

Tori and husband

Neuromodulation: A new area of psychiatry

The study pulls together a team of experts from the U’s neuroscience, neuroimaging, psychology and child development departments. They’re looking at the effects of two therapies on the brain’s circuitry and the patient’s mood. The first is mindful breathing.

“The tendency with depression is to ruminate about past events or the future,” says Nikita Tavares, one of the study’s coordinators. “With mindful breathing, we can learn to use our breath to focus on the present.”

Adds Dr. Cullen: “It’s a calming procedure that activates certain parts of the brain. We expect, over time, that it would have a positive impact on neural networks.”

The second, more cutting-edge therapy attempts to boost the effects of meditation. Researchers use a cranial cap to deliver a small amount of electricity through the scalp. It’s a double-blinded study, so no one, not even Dr. Cullen, knows who’s getting both therapies.

MRIs and EEGs measure adjustments, if any, in those neural networks. Clinical sessions look for mood changes. Tests and games determine any improvement in cognitive ability.

“It’s too early to know whether this is going to be a groundbreaking shift in psychiatric treatment,” Dr. Cullen says. “But, we are really starting to get traction in bringing together both neuroscience and clinical advances.”

Tori and husband

Taking time to notice little things

Natalie came out of the study with a helpful new tool to fight depression. Mindful breathing. It’s a technique, which, amidst the drumbeat of COVID-19 news, might be helpful to everybody.

For Natalie , there’s still work to do, but, for now, the depression she felt in the first semester lifted.

“I’m just more appreciative of everything that I have in my life right now,” Natalie says. “My parents, my boyfriend, and my friends.”

1 in 5 US adults experience mental illness in their lifetime; 75% of the time this begins before age 24. Our youth are facing changes to their school structure, social life, and family life due to COVID-19 that might exacerbate these numbers. For children and adolescents seeking mental health evaluation, you may also call the Intake Line for the Outpatient Psychiatry Clinics at University of Minnesota Medical Center, 612-273-8700 or 8710.

If you or someone you know are worried about mental health, please call the National Alliance for Mental Illness at 800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741741. You are not alone.

Mindful breathing with transcranial direct current stimulation: A new approach to depression therapy

Depression is a complex phenomenon involving several areas of the brain and the connections among them. Research is looking at what goes wrong with these networks in depression and if we can develop ways to make them work normally again.
Areas of the brain communicate with each other through a complex process involving electrical signals. Researchers think that in depression the pathways of communication between brain regions that are important for maintaining a normal mood are disrupted.
Mindful breathing is a known strategy for relieving stress. Some research has suggested that mindful breathing alone can change the brain and may improve mood.
In this experimental study, researchers are testing if the effects of mindful breathing can be accelerated by stimulating brain circuits using a non-invasive method.
Scientists are measuring if the combination of electrical stimulation and mindful breathing can change the connections between areas of the brain, offering the possibility of “reprogramming” brain networks and relieving depression.
Right now, this research is testing the theory that this combination of mindful breathing with brain stimulation can lead to hoped-for brain changes. Scientists use magnetic resonance imaging of the brain before and after the experiment to measure if change happens, and if that change relates to symptom improvement.
Natalie

Natalie Narvaez

Patient

Natalie’s mindful breathing technique, which, amidst the drumbeat of COVID-19 news, might be helpful to everybody.

“I close my eyes but I guess you really don’t have to,” she says. “Concentrate on your breathing. When a thought comes to mind, acknowledge it, let it go and come back to slowly breathing, in and out. Grounding yourself. Calming down if you’re panicked about anything.”

Dr. Jakub Tolar

Dr. Jakub Tolar

Dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School

His own research is finding new ways to treat children with lethal diseases but his insatiable curiosity—and position—put him at the helm of all of the U’s clinical research: “I’m interested in everything,” he says with a smile. “It’s my weakness.”

Dr. Katie Cullen

Dr. Katie Cullen

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division Head

“I love working with kids. They’re interesting and fun. But, also, most mental health disorders emerge during adolescence. So it’s a critical period for us to study and make a difference.”

Nikita Tavares

Nikita Tavares

Study Coordinator for Mindful Breathing and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Department of Psychiatry

“What I like most about working with students is they are close to my age so I understand the experiences they’ve gone through, and I’m able to connect with them and build a strong rapport to be their point of contact throughout the study.”

Resources:

Inspired

University of Minnesota Campus Public Health Office

Dr. Cullen’s Research in Adolescence (RAD) Lab:

Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, University of Minnesota

Mindfulness & tDCS Study and Enrollment Form:

Mindful Breathing Exercise

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