Investigating Flotation-REST as a novel technique for reducing anxiety and depression

项目总结 焦虑和抑郁是最常见的两种精神疾病，超过四分之一的人 在世界范围内，人口是导致残疾的主要原因。最近的荟萃分析和大规模研究 临床试验表明，只有大约50%的患者在治疗后有所改善，而病情明显恶化。 焦虑和抑郁共病患者的结局和依从性。考虑到糟糕的待遇 对现有疗法的反应和坚持，迫切需要探索新的帮助方法 有焦虑和抑郁的患者。漂浮-休息(减少环境刺激疗法)是一种 相对未探索的心身干预通过系统地自然减轻生理压力 通过在泳池中漂浮仰卧的简单动作来减少对神经系统的感觉刺激 浸透了Epsom盐的水。在过去的十年里，Floating见证了快速增长的人气， 数百个娱乐花车中心在美国各地开业。尽管公众的兴趣激增， 在消耗方面，几乎没有关于漂浮-休息的研究，特别是在临床人群中。 我们实验室最近完成了一项针对30名焦虑和抑郁共病患者的初步研究。 一次1小时的漂浮训练能够引起巨大的抗焦虑和抗抑郁反应 伴随着情绪和主观幸福感的显著改善。此外，这些影响并不是 短暂的，因为受试者报告在接下来的24小时内感觉持续受益。这项建议旨在 通过调查接受手术的可行性、耐受性和安全性来跟踪这些有希望的发现 75名临床焦虑症患者的多次漂浮-休息或主动比较状态 和抑郁症。这些参与者中的一部分将有机会选择他们在以下方面的偏好 浮动持续时间和频率，为今后试验中优化剂量提供重要信息。我们 预测在所有条件下的遵从率将是相当的，低辍学率(&lt；20%)和 最小的不良反应，提供了可行性、耐受性和安全性的初步证据 这一目标人群中漂浮-休息的时段和活跃的比较条件。探索性目标 检查漂浮-休息的抗焦虑和抗抑郁效果的幅度和持续时间 短期(最长48小时)和长期(最长6周)间隔，为是否 任何有益的效果都将持续到彩车体验之外。这项早期临床试验的结果将 帮助优化未来疗效研究的设计，探索抗焦虑和抗抑郁的长期效果 漂浮--休息。

PROJECT SUMMARY Anxiety and depression are the two most common psychiatric conditions, affecting over a quarter of the population, and representing the leading cause of disability, worldwide. Recent meta-analyses and large-scale clinical trials suggest that only about 50% of patients improve with treatment, with substantially poorer outcomes and adherence in patients with comorbid anxiety and depression. Given the poor treatment response and adherence to currently available therapies, it is imperative to explore new ways of helping patients with anxiety and depression. Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy) is a relatively unexplored mind-body intervention for naturally reducing physiological stress by systematically decreasing sensory stimulation of the nervous system through the simple act of floating supine in a pool of water saturated with Epsom salt. Over the past decade floating has witnessed a rapid rise in popularity, with hundreds of recreational float centers opening across America. Despite this surge in public interest and consumption, there has been little research investigating Floatation-REST, especially in clinical populations. Our laboratory recently completed a pilot study in 30 patients with comorbid anxiety and depression showing that a single 1-hour float session was capable of inducing a large anxiolytic and antidepressant response accompanied by a substantial improvement in mood and subjective well-being. Moreover, the effects were not transient, as the subjects reported feeling sustained benefit over the next 24 hours. This proposal aims to follow-up on these promising findings by investigating the feasibility, tolerability, and safety of undergoing multiple sessions of Floatation-REST or an active comparison condition in 75 participants with clinical anxiety and depression. A subset of these participants will have the opportunity to select their preference with regard to float duration and frequency, providing important information for optimizing the “dose” in future trials. We predict that adherence rates will be comparable across all conditions, with low dropout rates (<20%) and minimal adverse effects, providing initial evidence for feasibility, tolerability, and safety of undergoing multiple sessions of Floatation-REST and the active comparison condition in this target population. An exploratory aim examines the magnitude and duration of the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of Floatation-REST at both short-term (up to 48 hours) and long-term (up to 6 weeks) intervals, providing an initial indication for whether any beneficial effects are sustained beyond the float experience. The results of this early phase clinical trial will help optimize the design of a future efficacy study exploring the long-term anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of Floatation-REST.