This is a study about identifying novel interventions to help those who have difficulty managing emotional experience. We are testing the combination of two successful interventions (noninvasive brain stimulation and cognitive therapy) aimed to help adults in one session calm down easier after they become emotionally distressed. We are interested in the effects of this intervention on ability to manage emotions and general distress in the lab and in the natural environment, both immediately after the intervention and a month later. We are no longer recruiting for this study.

Duke eIRB # Pro00066383

In this study we are planning to pilot our CBT and neuromodulation intervention in adults who are addicted to opiates and who have difficulties with emotions. We will examine our participant’s neural activity while undergoing an emotion regulation task to better understand whether there are unique impairments in the emotional regulation network in this population. Following we will administer a course of neuromodulation combined with cognitive restructuring and examine neural changes following the intervention. We are no longer recruiting for this study.

Duke IRIS protocol #: PRO00103230

Misophonia, the inability to tolerate certain repetitive aversive sounds that are common, is gaining recognition as a debilitating condition. It is not a well-understood condition and there are no known treatments.  Up to one in five people report moderate or higher misophonia symptoms; nevertheless, resources aimed at understanding and treating this problem are scarce. In order to align misophonia research with the priorities of large funding agencies such as the National Institute of Mental Health, we propose a novel study aimed at separating misophonic distress from other types of emotional distress. We plan to examine changes in brain activation during presentation and regulation of misophonic versus distressing sounds. Emergent neural networks that may be involved in misophonia will then be tested in the lab with the use of noninvasive neurostimulation, a novel tool that can enhance or inhibit activation in a targeted brain region. We plan to modulate activation in key areas of the misophonia brain circuitry with the aim to identify the optimal neural target for misophonia interventions. We are no longer recruiting for this study.

Duke IRIS protocol #: Pro00103683

Research suggests older adults report wide-ranging emotional distress (e.g., symptoms of anxiety, depression) that negatively impacts their physical and mental health, and is associated with a reduction in daily activity. The overarching goal of this proposal is to adapt an existing evidence-based intervention, the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP), to increase activity in older adults by reducing emotional distress. The primary aim of the proposed study is to adapt a 5-session version of the UP for use with older adults reporting emotional distress and reduced engagement in daily activities, and to also develop a self-guided version of this intervention.

This aim will be accomplished in two phases. In Phase 1, patient will receive the UP as written via telehealth. At the end of treatment they will provide feedback on the treatment, including any suggested changes as well as provide suggestions for changing the treatment that might allow an individual to successfully complete it on their own. This information will be used to iteratively change the treatment and develop a self-guided version of the treatment.

In Phase 2, the study team will compare the therapist-delivered and self-guided version of treatment to see if patients find them acceptable. In this phase, patients will be randomized to receive one of these two treatments.