Where Discovery Creates Hope

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.

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.”

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?

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.”