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Katie Garrison, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Information

Katie Garrison, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Psychiatry

    1 Church St

    New Haven, CT 06511

    United States

Research Summary

Dr. Garrison's research program seeks to better understand the cognitive processes of addiction and to develop and test novel treatments. To do this, her research involves clinical trials of treatments for addictions and neuroimaging studies of the underlying neurobiology. Her current work uses approaches in mobile health and neuroimaging.

In mobile health, Dr. Garrison is developing and testing mobile-device-based treatments for smoking, such as smartphone apps and smartbands. One focus of this work is delivering mindfulness training for smoking cessation via mobile technology. To this end, she conducted the first full-scale randomized controlled efficacy trial of a smartphone app for smoking cessation, which was also the first clinical trial of a smartphone app for mindfulness training. Building on this work, she is conducting a clinical trial testing the feasibility of using a smartband to detect smoking and deliver just-in-time mindfulness interventions for smoking cessation.

In neuroimaging, one focus of her work is developing and testing real-time fMRI neurofeedback for clinical applications in addictions. The team's first studies used rt-fMRI to link objective neuroimaging data with subjective experience of a cognitive process (focused attention). Building on this work, she is conducting a study using rt-fMRI to link large-scale brain network dynamics with the subjective experience of craving. Further expanding on this work, she is conducting a collaborative study using rt-fMRI to train volitional control of large-scale brain network dynamics in opioid use disorder. Together this work will inform both addictions treatment and rt-fMRI protocols in addictions.

Another focus of Dr. Garrison's neuroimaging work tests whether brain activity can predict future substance use behaviors. Her first study in this area used this brain-as-predictor approach in tobacco regulatory science to test responses to e-cigarette advertisements and warning labels among youth. Building on this work, she is conducting a longitudinal study testing whether responses to e-cigarette advertisements and warning labels can predict future e-cigarette use among susceptible adolescents. This work is timely and urgent in response to the youth e-cigarette epidemic. She has also used this approach to test responses to drinking cues and antidrinking messages among binge drinking youth. Together this work will inform substance use prevention and cessation efforts among youth.

Each area of Dr. Garrison's research aims to further our understanding of addiction and inform treatments. Overall, her research uses cutting-edge technology and advanced neuroimaging methods to address urgent issues in addiction.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Neurosciences; Smoking; Smoking Cessation; Stroke; Binge Drinking

Selected Publications

  • Functional MRI Preprocessing in Lesioned Brains: Manual Versus Automated Region of Interest Analysis.Garrison KA, Rogalsky C, Sheng T, Liu B, Damasio H, Winstein CJ, Aziz-Zadeh LS. Functional MRI Preprocessing in Lesioned Brains: Manual Versus Automated Region of Interest Analysis. Frontiers In Neurology 2015, 6: 196. PMID: 26441816, PMCID: PMC4585177, DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00196.
  • Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task.Garrison KA, Zeffiro TA, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Brewer JA. Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience 2015, 15: 712-20. PMID: 25904238, PMCID: PMC4529365, DOI: 10.3758/s13415-015-0358-3.
  • The (in)stability of functional brain network measures across thresholds.Garrison KA, Scheinost D, Finn ES, Shen X, Constable RT. The (in)stability of functional brain network measures across thresholds. NeuroImage 2015, 118: 651-61. PMID: 26021218, PMCID: PMC4554838, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.046.
  • A randomized controlled trial of smartphone-based mindfulness training for smoking cessation: a study protocol.Garrison KA, Pal P, Rojiani R, Dallery J, O'Malley SS, Brewer JA. A randomized controlled trial of smartphone-based mindfulness training for smoking cessation: a study protocol. BMC Psychiatry 2015, 15: 83. PMID: 25884648, PMCID: PMC4414369, DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0468-z.
  • BOLD signal and functional connectivity associated with loving kindness meditation.Garrison KA, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Brewer JA. BOLD signal and functional connectivity associated with loving kindness meditation. Brain And Behavior 2014, 4: 337-47. PMID: 24944863, PMCID: PMC4055184, DOI: 10.1002/brb3.219.
  • Optimizing real time fMRI neurofeedback for therapeutic discovery and development.Stoeckel LE, Garrison KA, Ghosh S, Wighton P, Hanlon CA, Gilman JM, Greer S, Turk-Browne NB, deBettencourt MT, Scheinost D, Craddock C, Thompson T, Calderon V, Bauer CC, George M, Breiter HC, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Gabrieli JD, LaConte SM, Hirshberg L, Brewer JA, Hampson M, Van Der Kouwe A, Mackey S, Evins AE. Optimizing real time fMRI neurofeedback for therapeutic discovery and development. NeuroImage. Clinical 2014, 5: 245-55. PMID: 25161891, PMCID: PMC4141981, DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.07.002.
  • Neuroimaging and biomarkers in addiction treatment.Garrison KA, Potenza MN. Neuroimaging and biomarkers in addiction treatment. Current Psychiatry Reports 2014, 16: 513. PMID: 25308385, PMCID: PMC4427893, DOI: 10.1007/s11920-014-0513-5.
  • The posterior cingulate cortex as a plausible mechanistic target of meditation: findings from neuroimaging.Brewer JA, Garrison KA. The posterior cingulate cortex as a plausible mechanistic target of meditation: findings from neuroimaging. Annals Of The New York Academy Of Sciences 2014, 1307: 19-27. PMID: 24033438, DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12246.
  • Real-time fMRI links subjective experience with brain activity during focused attention.Garrison KA, Scheinost D, Worhunsky PD, Elwafi HM, Thornhill TA, Thompson E, Saron C, Desbordes G, Kober H, Hampson M, Gray JR, Constable RT, Papademetris X, Brewer JA. Real-time fMRI links subjective experience with brain activity during focused attention. NeuroImage 2013, 81: 110-118. PMID: 23684866, PMCID: PMC3729617, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.030.
  • Modulating the motor system by action observation after stroke.Garrison KA, Aziz-Zadeh L, Wong SW, Liew SL, Winstein CJ. Modulating the motor system by action observation after stroke. Stroke; A Journal Of Cerebral Circulation 2013, 44: 2247-53. PMID: 23743974, PMCID: PMC3753677, DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.001105.
  • Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report.Garrison KA, Santoyo JF, Davis JH, Thornhill TA, Kerr CE, Brewer JA. Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report. Frontiers In Human Neuroscience 2013, 7: 440. PMID: 23964222, PMCID: PMC3734786, DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00440.
  • What about the "Self" is Processed in the Posterior Cingulate Cortex?Brewer JA, Garrison KA, Whitfield-Gabrieli S. What about the "Self" is Processed in the Posterior Cingulate Cortex? Frontiers In Human Neuroscience 2013, 7: 647. PMID: 24106472, PMCID: PMC3788347, DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00647.
  • The mirror neuron system: innovations and implications for occupational therapy.Liew SL, Garrison KA, Werner J, Aziz-Zadeh L. (2012) The mirror neuron system: innovations and implications for occupational therapy. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health. 32(3): p.79-86.
  • The mirror neuron system: a neural substrate for methods in stroke rehabilitation.Garrison KA, Winstein CJ, Aziz-Zadeh L. The mirror neuron system: a neural substrate for methods in stroke rehabilitation. Neurorehabilitation And Neural Repair 2010, 24: 404-12. PMID: 20207851, DOI: 10.1177/1545968309354536.
  • Measurement of whole-brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis.Pelletier D, Garrison K, Henry R. Measurement of whole-brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis. Journal Of Neuroimaging : Official Journal Of The American Society Of Neuroimaging 2004, 14: 11S-19S. PMID: 15228755, DOI: 10.1177/1051228404266264.
  • Effects of Smoking Status and State on Intrinsic Connectivity.Yip SW, Lichenstein SD, Garrison K, Averill CL, Viswanath H, Salas R, Abdallah CG. Effects of Smoking Status and State on Intrinsic Connectivity. Biological Psychiatry : Cognitive Neuroscience And Neuroimaging 2021 PMID: 33618016, PMCID: PMC8373998, DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.02.004.
  • Review of Popularity and Quality Standards of Opioid-Related Smartphone Apps.Vilardaga R, Fisher T, Palenski PE, Kumaresan V, Mannelli P, Sweitzer MM, McClernon FJ, Engelhard MM, Sabo PL, Garrison KA. Review of Popularity and Quality Standards of Opioid-Related Smartphone Apps. Current Addiction Reports 2020, 7: 486-496. PMID: 33777644, PMCID: PMC7993400, DOI: 10.1007/s40429-020-00344-6.
  • Awareness, affect, and craving during smoking cessation: An experience sampling study.Sala M, Roos CR, Brewer JA, Garrison KA. Awareness, affect, and craving during smoking cessation: An experience sampling study. Health Psychology : Official Journal Of The Division Of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association 2021, 40: 578-586. PMID: 34570534, PMCID: PMC8629854, DOI: 10.1037/hea0001105.
  • Smartband-Based Automatic Smoking Detection and Real-time Mindfulness Intervention: Protocol for a Feasibility Trial.Horvath M, Grutman A, O'Malley SS, Gueorguieva R, Khan N, Brewer JA, Garrison KA. Smartband-Based Automatic Smoking Detection and Real-time Mindfulness Intervention: Protocol for a Feasibility Trial. JMIR Research Protocols 2021, 10: e32521. PMID: 34783663, PMCID: PMC8663689, DOI: 10.2196/32521.
  • Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of cannabis use in adolescence and emerging adulthood: evidence from 90 studies and 9441 participants.Lichenstein SD, Manco N, Cope LM, Egbo L, Garrison KA, Hardee J, Hillmer AT, Reeder K, Stern EF, Worhunsky P, Yip SW. Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of cannabis use in adolescence and emerging adulthood: evidence from 90 studies and 9441 participants. Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication Of The American College Of Neuropsychopharmacology 2022, 47: 1000-1028. PMID: 34839363, PMCID: PMC8938408, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01226-9.

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
Diseases of the Nervous SystemMeditation and Synaptic Density
Mental Health & Behavioral ResearchAn fMRI study of responses to e-cigarette advertising and warnings among adolescents
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