The £5 million project will use advanced brain stimulation as well as MRI scans, computational modelling and a pioneering approach using biofeedback from the eyes’ pupils, to better understand the mechanisms that cause repetitive negative thoughts (RNTs), also known as ‘rumination’, to start and persist.
RNTs are a risk factor for a number of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, but the brain systems and processes involved in causing and maintaining these thoughts are not currently well understood.
This study will be the first to employ this broad range of techniques to provide evidence of what processes in the brain cause people to develop these repetitive worrying thoughts, and to find ways to help reduce them.
The project, which starts in February and will involve 500 participants, will work closely with people with lived experience to ensure the research makes sense and takes into account their views and priorities.
Read the full story on the Department of Psychiatry website.