Facilitating Mindfulness Training with Ultrasonic Neuromodulation

Mar 13, 2026·

Brian Lord

Erica N. Lord

Jessica Schachtner

Laura Beaman

Shinzen Young

John J. B. Allen

Joseph L. Sanguinetti

Preprint DOI

Conditionally accepted to Mindfulness; bioRxiv preprint

Conditionally accepted to Mindfulness; bioRxiv preprint. In 30 randomized participants, 24 completed the analyzed protocol; active tFUS was associated with greater DMN–CEN segregation than sham. Read the study summary and limitations.

Abstract

Thirty meditation-naïve participants were randomized to active or sham posterior-cingulate tFUS during two weeks of mindfulness training; 24 completed the analyzed protocol. Active tFUS was associated with a greater pre-to-post reduction in resting-state DMN–CEN connectivity than sham, indicating increased network segregation. Exploratory analyses linked greater connectivity decreases with greater increases in self-reported acceptance, but did not establish mediation or a causal mechanism. The practice-duration interaction was not supported by significant within-condition slopes. Small, unequal groups and possible partial unblinding warrant caution. The manuscript is conditionally accepted at Mindfulness; the linked bioRxiv paper is the public preprint.

Type

Preprint

Publication

bioRxiv preprint; manuscript conditionally accepted to Mindfulness

Study summary

Manuscript status: conditionally accepted to Mindfulness. The bioRxiv preprint, posted March 13, 2026, remains publicly available; the DOI above identifies that preprint.

In a randomized study of 30 meditation-naïve participants, 24 completed the analyzed protocol. During two weeks of training, PCC-targeted tFUS was associated with a greater reduction in resting-state DMN–CEN connectivity than sham. This is increased network segregation, or decoupling.

Exploratory analyses associated greater connectivity decreases with greater increases in self-reported acceptance. The relationship between connectivity change and voluntary meditation practice duration differed by condition, but neither within-condition slope was significant. These associations do not demonstrate mediation or establish a causal mechanism. The short trial also does not establish years-equivalent acceleration of meditation training; its small, unequal groups and possible partial unblinding limit the conclusions.

Last updated on Mar 13, 2026