{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T20:58:21Z","timestamp":1780433901201,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,22]],"date-time":"2022-04-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1650585600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["R25 MH101076"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R25 MH101076"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["P20GM130452"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["P20GM130452"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Most external peripheral nerve stimulation devices designed to alter mood states use electrical energy, but mechanical stimulation for activation of somatosensory pathways may be harnessed for potential therapeutic neuromodulation. A novel investigational device for Mechanical Affective Touch Therapy (MATT) was created to stimulate C-tactile fibers through gentle vibrations delivered by piezoelectric actuators on the bilateral mastoid processes.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>22 adults with anxiety disorders and at least moderate anxiety symptom severity enrolled in an open-label pilot trial that involved MATT self-administration using a simple headset at home at least twice per day for 4 weeks. Resting EEG data were acquired before and after a baseline MATT session and again before the final MATT session. Self-report measures of mood and anxiety were collected at baseline, week 2, and week 4, while interoception was assessed pre- and post-treatment.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Anxiety and depressive symptoms improved significantly from baseline to endpoint, and mindfulness was enhanced. EEG metrics confirmed an association between acute MATT stimulation and oscillatory power in alpha and theta bands; symptom changes correlated with changes in some metrics.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Open-label data suggest MATT is a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach to anxiety disorders that warrants further development.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.877574","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,22]],"date-time":"2022-04-22T05:04:30Z","timestamp":1650603870000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Mechanical Affective Touch Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: Feasibility, Clinical Outcomes, and Electroencephalography Biomarkers From an Open-Label Trial"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Linda L.","family":"Carpenter","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eugenia F.","family":"Kronenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eric","family":"Tirrell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fatih","family":"Kokdere","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Quincy M.","family":"Beck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Temereanca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew M.","family":"Fukuda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sahithi","family":"Garikapati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sean","family":"Hagberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1123","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(03)14470-4","article-title":"Vibrating insoles and balance control in elderly people.","volume":"362","author":"Priplata","year":"2003","journal-title":"Lancet."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"202","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brs.2012.04.006","article-title":"Inhibition of pain processing by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation.","volume":"14","author":"Ellrich","year":"2011","journal-title":"Neuromodulation."},{"key":"B3","first-page":"18","article-title":"Cranial application of low level transcranial electrotherapy vs. relaxation instruction in anxious patients.","volume":"4","author":"Gibson","year":"1987","journal-title":"Am J Electromed."},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"13865","DOI":"10.1038\/srep13865","article-title":"Transdermal neuromodulation of noradrenergic activity suppresses psychophysiological and biochemical stress responses in humans.","volume":"5","author":"Tyler","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci Rep."},{"key":"B5","first-page":"203","article-title":"Results of cranial electrotherapy stimulation to children with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.","volume":"19","author":"Yixin","year":"2007","journal-title":"Shanghai Arch Psychiatry."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"469","DOI":"10.2147\/JPR.S111035","article-title":"Fixed-site high-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for treatment of chronic low back and lower extremity pain.","volume":"9","author":"Gozani","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Pain Res."},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"130","DOI":"10.1097\/WNP.0b013e3181d64d8a","article-title":"Overview of the clinical applications of vagus nerve stimulation.","volume":"27","author":"Beekwilder","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Clin Neurophysiol."},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"279","DOI":"10.1016\/S0079-6123(08)64360-5","article-title":"The effect of focused ultrasound on the skin and deep nerve structures of man and animal.","volume":"43","author":"Gavrilov","year":"1976","journal-title":"Prog Brain Res."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e51177","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0051177","article-title":"Pulsed ultrasound differentially stimulates somatosensory circuits in humans as indicated by EEG and FMRI.","volume":"7","author":"Legon","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS One."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2220","DOI":"10.1016\/s1388-2457(03)00235-9","article-title":"Safety criteria for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in humans.","volume":"114","author":"Nitsche","year":"2003","journal-title":"Clin Neurophysiol."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"285","DOI":"10.1177\/1073858409336227","article-title":"Noninvasive brain stimulation with low-intensity electrical currents: putative mechanisms of action for direct and alternating current stimulation.","volume":"16","author":"Zaghi","year":"2010","journal-title":"Neuroscientist."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1016\/0006-8993(93)90968-s","article-title":"A system of unmyelinated afferents for innocuous mechanoreception in the human skin.","volume":"628","author":"Vallbo","year":"1993","journal-title":"Brain Res."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"900","DOI":"10.1038\/nn896","article-title":"Unmyelinated tactile afferents signal touch and project to insular cortex.","volume":"5","author":"Olausson","year":"2002","journal-title":"Nat Neurosci."},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"451","DOI":"10.1007\/s00429-010-0258-9","article-title":"Interoception in anxiety and depression.","volume":"214","author":"Paulus","year":"2010","journal-title":"Brain Struct Funct."},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1186\/s13030-020-00179-7","article-title":"Effects of interoceptive training on decision making, anxiety, and somatic symptoms.","volume":"14","author":"Sugawara","year":"2020","journal-title":"Biopsychosoc Med."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2015.09.018","article-title":"A systematic review of the neurophysiology of mindfulness on EEG oscillations.","volume":"57","author":"Lomas","year":"2015","journal-title":"Neurosci Biobehav Rev."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S1094","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neurom.2021.10.007","article-title":"Mechanical affective touch therapy for anxiety disorders: effects on resting state functional connectivity.","volume":"6","author":"Gonsalves","year":"2022","journal-title":"Neuromodulation."},{"key":"B18","first-page":"22","article-title":"The mini-international neuropsychiatric interview (M.I.N.I.): the development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10.","author":"Sheehan","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Clin Psychiatry."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1092","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.166.10.1092","article-title":"A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7.","volume":"166","author":"Spitzer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch Intern Med."},{"key":"B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"561","DOI":"10.1001\/archpsyc.1961.01710120031004","article-title":"An inventory for measuring depression.","volume":"4","author":"Beck","year":"1961","journal-title":"Arch Gen Psychiatry."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"385","DOI":"10.2307\/2136404","article-title":"A global measure of perceived stress.","volume":"24","author":"Cohen","year":"1983","journal-title":"J Health Soc Behav."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1016\/0005-7967(94)00075-u","article-title":"The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) with the beck depression and anxiety inventories.","volume":"33","author":"Lovibond","year":"1995","journal-title":"Behav Res Ther."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e48230","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0048230","article-title":"The Multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness (MAIA).","volume":"7","author":"Mehling","year":"2012","journal-title":"PLoS One."},{"key":"B24","first-page":"343","article-title":"SAFTEE: a technique for the systematic assessment of side effects in clinical trials.","volume":"22","author":"Levine","year":"1986","journal-title":"Psychopharmacol Bull."},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.132.2.180","article-title":"Meditation states and traits: EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies.","volume":"132","author":"Cahn","year":"2013","journal-title":"Psychol Conscious Theory Res Pract."},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"103","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpsycho.2011.02.004","article-title":"Activation of the anterior prefrontal cortex and serotonergic system is associated with improvements in mood and EEG changes induced by Zen meditation practice in novices.","volume":"80","author":"Yu","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int J Psychophysiol."},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2016.00182","article-title":"Neuronal oscillations in various frequency bands differ between pain and touch.","volume":"10","author":"Michail","year":"2016","journal-title":"Front Hum Neurosci."},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jns.2019.03.004","article-title":"Effect of short-term transcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation on EEG activity in drug-resistant epilepsy.","volume":"400","author":"Ginatempo","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Neurol Sci."},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"117655","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2020.117655","article-title":"Natural oscillation frequencies in the two lateral prefrontal cortices induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation.","volume":"227","author":"Vallesi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Neuroimage."},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"110082","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pnpbp.2020.110082","article-title":"Resting-state electroencephalographic functional network alterations in major depressive disorder following magnetic seizure therapy.","volume":"108","author":"Hill","year":"2021","journal-title":"Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry."}],"updated-by":[{"DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.1010954","type":"corrigendum","label":"Corrigendum","source":"publisher","updated":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]],"date-time":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1662595200000}}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.877574\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]],"date-time":"2022-09-08T11:28:17Z","timestamp":1662636497000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.877574\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,22]]},"references-count":30,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.877574"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.877574","relation":{"corrigendum":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2022.1010954","asserted-by":"object"}]},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,22]]},"article-number":"877574"}}