Abstract
Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) with neurofeedback allows investigation of human brain neuroplastic changes that arise as subjects learn to modulate neurophysiological function using real-time feedback regarding their own hemodynamic responses to stimuli. We investigated the feasibility of training healthy humans to self-regulate the hemodynamic activity of the amygdala, which plays major roles in emotional processing. Participants in the experimental group were provided with ongoing information about the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity in the left amygdala (LA) and were instructed to raise the BOLD rtfMRI signal by contemplating positive autobiographical memories. A control group was assigned the same task but was instead provided with sham feedback from the left horizontal segment of the intraparietal sulcus (HIPS) region. In the LA, we found a significant BOLD signal increase due to rtfMRI neurofeedback training in the experimental group versus the control group. This effect persisted during the Transfer run without neurofeedback. For the individual subjects in the experimental group the training effect on the LA BOLD activity correlated inversely with scores on the Difficulty Identifying Feelings subscale of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The whole brain data analysis revealed significant differences for Happy Memories versus Rest condition between the experimental and control groups. Functional connectivity analysis of the amygdala network revealed significant widespread correlations in a fronto-temporo-limbic network. Additionally, we identified six regions — right medial frontal polar cortex, bilateral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, left anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral superior frontal gyrus — where the functional connectivity with the LA increased significantly across the rtfMRI neurofeedback runs and the Transfer run. The findings demonstrate that healthy subjects can learn to regulate their amygdala activation using rtfMRI neurofeedback, suggesting possible applications of rtfMRI neurofeedback training in the treatment of patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.
Highlights
Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging, in which fMRI data processing and display are performed at a speed that makes them concomitant with image acquisition [1], has enabled real-time neurofeedback, i.e. allowing a person to watch and regulate the fMRI signal from his or her own brain (e.g. [2])
These results demonstrate the ability of the participants in the experimental group to regulate blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity of their left amygdala using Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) neurofeedback
We investigated the feasibility of training healthy volunteers to regulate the level of activation in their left amygdala using rtfMRI neurofeedback
Summary
Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI), in which fMRI data processing and display are performed at a speed that makes them concomitant with image acquisition [1], has enabled real-time neurofeedback, i.e. allowing a person to watch and regulate the fMRI signal from his or her own brain (e.g. [2]). The researchers identified emotion-related networks using a functional localizer run and asked participants (n = 13) to upregulate blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity in individually (for each subject) selected region such as insula, amygdala, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) [17]. A previous rtfMRI neurofeedback study investigated the possibility of training healthy volunteers to control the level of BOLD activity in the amygdala during self-induced sadness, potential learning effects were not assessed [19]. The neurofeedback provided in this study was based on the experimenter’s rating, who viewed the functional maps and provided the individuals (n = 6) inside the MRI scanner with verbal feedback regarding the signal change in the amygdala after each trial. Amygdala activation caused by learned self-regulation could not be differentiated from activation attributable to the mood induction
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