Skip to content
Bored Studies
RecruitingAccepts healthy volunteers

Effect of Mindfulness-based Neurofeedback for Adolescents With Elevated Repetitive Negative Thinking

Massachusetts General Hospital · with National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · NCT07055217

View Study & Apply (opens in a new tab)

Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 13–21 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
100
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
November 4, 2025
Record last updated
May 19, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

This study will test the hypotheses that adolescent with repetitive negative thinking who at at-risk for serious mental illness will show greater default mode network (DMN) connectivity than healthy controls, at-risk adolescents will show greater changes in DMN connectivity than healthy controls, and that a longer session of mindfulness based neurofeedback will lead to greater reduction in DMN connectivity. To do so, 50 adolescents with elevated repetitive negative thinking and 50 matched healthy control participants will be enrolled into a double-blind randomized clinical trial of a session of mindfulness training with either active mindfulness-basde neurofeedback or sham mindfulness-based neurofeedback.

Being studied: Mindfulness Training; Mindfulness-based Neurofeedback (Real mbNF); Sham mindfulness-based neurofeedback (Sham mbNF)

Conditions: Repetitive Negative Thinking; Neurofeedback

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Ages 13-21, inclusive
  • If \<18 years old: Competent and willing to provide written informed assent AND have a parent/legal guardian who is competent and willing to provide written informed consent
  • If age ≥18 years: Competent and willing to provide written informed consent
  • Tanner puberty stage ≥3 (to minimize neuroendocrine variability)
  • Able to understand study procedures, read, and write in English
  • Access to a mobile device to complete daily surveys

Additional Inclusion Criteria for At-Risk Adolescents - Recurrent negative thinking, defined as PTQ/PTQ-C total score >30 with at least two items rated as 3 (Often) or 4 (Almost Always)

Additional Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls

-PTQ/PTQ-C total score \<15, with zero items rated as 3 (Often) or 4 (Always)

Exclusion Criteria

  • Any of the following lifetime mental health disorders by DSM-V criteria: psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, recurrent moderate or severe major depressive disorder, conduct disorder, developmental disorder (e.g., autism), post-traumatic stress disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Severe lifetime substance use disorder
  • Unstable medical or neurologic condition as determined by study staff, history of epilepsy or seizure disorder, head injury, loss of consciousness >5 minutes by participant self-report
  • MRI contraindications (i.e. presence of ferromagnetic implants, cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker wires, metallic particles in the body, vascular clips in the head or previous neurosurgery, prosthetic heart valves, magnetic dental implants claustrophobia).
  • Visual, auditory, or cognitive impairment (IQ\<80 based on the Wechsler Abbreviated Intelligence Scale (WASI)) that may make it difficult to participate.
  • Any condition or situation that would, in the investigator's opinion, make it unlikely that the participant could adhere safely to the study protocol.
  • Pregnancy: a negative pregnancy test is required at the time of enrollment for any individuals of childbearing potential
  • Individuals who are under the legal protection of the government or state (Wards of the State)

Recruiting US locations

  • Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Addiction Medicine, 101 Merrimac Street, Suite 320, Boston, MA 02114

    Boston, MA 02114

    Site contact: Julia Jashinski, MSW · 617-643-1984 · jjashinski@mgh.harvard.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Julia Jashinski, MSW · 617-643-1984 · jjashinski@mgh.harvard.edu
All healthy volunteers studies in Massachusetts →
Effect of Mindfulness-based Neurofeedback for Adolescents With… (NCT07055217) | Bored Studies