Formal University & Corporate Research Studies on Tholagé®

Large effect sizes were found in the pilot study on Tholáge® (n=14) in treating depression, as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (.61), and in improving emotion regulation, using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Revised (.64). These results indicate Tholáge® was efficacious, after just 2 treatments.

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Large effect sizes were again found in this larger study on Tholáge® (n = 63), using Beck Depression Inventory to assess for improvement in Beck Depression Inventory (.25), Beck Anxiety Inventory (.22), Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (.21), PTSD Frequency (.25), and PTSD Severity (.24). These results indicate Tholáge® was efficacious, after just 2 treatments. 

The human subject, who was inside an fMRI machine, lifted their eyes to 60° up for 10 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of neutral/looking straight ahead—a pattern that was repeated continuously for several minutes. Though the locus coeruleus (LC) and amygdalae were too small to be seen with the level of resolution being used in this small IRB-approved study, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) lit up every time the subject lifted their eyes up, all of which was exactly as Matsuo et al. (2015) found in their study of “upgazes.” Activation of the vmPFC also indicates activation of the amygdala, also as Matsuo and team found.

Plans are being made at Wayne State University–an R1 university–to study both treatment protocols of Tholáge, the Access Protocol (eye-movement-and-somatic-release) and the Attachment Protocol (exercises that mimic the center of the Window of Tolerance).