Self-referential Thinking Research Articles

Enhancing flow states in neurodivergent individuals through cognitive network integration

This article explores the concept of “flow” in the context of neurodivergence, focusing on the interaction between the default mode network (DMN) and task-positive networks (TPNs), particularly in conditions such as autism spectrum condition (ASC) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Flow, a state of deep immersion and focused engagement, is associated with enhanced performance and satisfaction across activities. The DMN, typically active during rest and self-referential thinking, interacts uniquely with TPNs during flow states, creating a dynamic balance crucial for sustained focus and reduced self-referential thinking. Neurodivergent individuals often exhibit distinct DMN activity patterns, which affect their capacity for achieving flow. For instance, individuals with ADHD may experience flow in stimulating tasks, whereas those with ASC may achieve it in areas of deep interest due to their intense focus. This paper examines the expertise-and-release model in creative flow and transient hypofrontality as a potential mechanism facilitating flow in neurodivergent individuals. It also proposes strategies to enhance flow through personalized cognitive training, specialized task environments, and technology-assisted interventions, aiming to harness neurodivergent strengths and accommodate unique cognitive profiles. This comprehensive analysis deepens understanding of neurodiversity and offers practical applications for improving quality of life and performance in neurodivergent populations.

Mindfulness for test anxiety and negative self-evaluation in high school

There is growing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions reduce test anxiety in university-level students, but less is known about high school students. Adolescence is a time of frequent testing, identity concerns, and increases in self-conscious emotions. We hypothesized that test anxiety would be associated with negative self-referential thinking (negative self-thinking, study 1) and that Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) would reduce test anxiety, negative self-thinking, and self-judgment (study 2). 455 high school students (M age = 17.1 years (SD = 1.07), 43.2% female) reported their test anxiety and negative self-thinking in a cross-sectional study (study 1) and 33 high school students (mean age = 17.5 years (SD = 1.60, 88% female) reported measures at the pre-, post, and one-year follow-up during an 8-week MBSR course (study 2). Test anxiety was positively related to negative self-thinking (study 1). Test anxiety and self-judgment were reduced after participating in MBSR and remained low one year after (study 2). Negative self-thinking was not reduced during the intervention. MBSR seems promising in reducing test anxiety and self-judgment in adolescents and might increase awareness of negative self-thinking, perhaps also reducing the impact of such thoughts by encouraging observation of the thoughts as “events in the mind” rather than facts. Mindfulness training seems promising for reducing test anxiety in high school, but results need to be replicated in larger samples with a control group.

Frontal pole-precuneus connectivity is associated with a discrepancy between self-rated and observer-rated depression severity in mood disorders: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Discrepancies in self-rated and observer-rated depression severity may underlie the basis for biological heterogeneity in depressive disorders and be an important predictor of outcomes and indicators to optimize intervention strategies. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this discrepancy have been understudied. This study aimed to examine the brain networks that represent the neural basis of the discrepancy between self-rated and observer-rated depression severity using resting-state functional MRI. To examine the discrepancy between self-rated and observer-rated depression severity, self- and observer-ratings discrepancy (SOD) was defined, and the higher and lower SOD groups were selected from depressed patients as participants showing extreme deviation. Resting-state functional MRI analysis was performed to examine regions with significant differences in functional connectivity in the two groups. The results showed that, in the higher SOD group compared to the lower SOD group, there was increased functional connectivity between the frontal pole and precuneus, both of which are subregions of the default mode network that have been reported to be associated with ruminative and self-referential thinking. These results provide insight into the association of brain circuitry with discrepancies between self- and observer-rated depression severity and may lead to more treatment-oriented diagnostic reclassification in the future.

The neuroanatomical correlates of daily habitual tendencies and mediating effect on the association between daily habitual tendencies and symptoms of behavioral addictions

Habitual behaviors significantly shape our daily actions. Furthermore, habit formation is proposed as a key mechanism contributing to the development and maintenance of addiction. However, the neural substrates underlying daily habitual tendencies and their contribution to behavioral addiction symptoms in everyday life remain poorly understood. To explore these questions, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of data from 219 individuals who underwent neuroimaging (structural MRI) assessments alongside evaluations of their daily habitual tendencies and symptoms of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Problematic Smartphone Use (PSU). Using voxel-based morphometry, meta-analytic decoding, and mediation analysis, we found that daily habitual tendencies were positively correlated with larger gray matter volumes in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), precuneus, superior frontal gyrus (SFG), inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and supplementary motor area (SMA). Notably, the midline regions, including the vmPFC and precuneus, play a crucial role in value-based computation, emotional regulation, social cognition, and self-referential thinking. Individual variations in gray matter volumes within these regions served as mediators, influencing the bidirectional relationship between daily habitual tendencies and IGD symptoms. However, vmPFC variations were specifically found to mediate the pathway from PSU to daily habitual tendencies. Our findings suggest that the morphological architecture of the vmPFC and precuneus is associated with habitual tendencies in daily life and may mediate the development of addictive behaviors. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the neuroanatomical basis of daily habitual tendencies and their role in addictive behaviors.

Childhood Maltreatment and Amygdala-Mediated Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Following Adult Trauma

BackgroundChildhood abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual) is associated with aberrant connectivity of the amygdala, a key threat-processing region. Heightened amygdala activity also predicts adult anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, as do experiences of childhood abuse. The current study explored whether amygdala resting-state functional connectivity may explain the relationship between childhood abuse and anxiety and PTSD symptoms following trauma exposure in adults. MethodsTwo weeks posttrauma, adult trauma survivors (n = 152, mean age [SD] = 32.61 [10.35] years; women = 57.2%) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. PTSD and anxiety symptoms were assessed 6 months posttrauma. Seed-to-voxel analyses evaluated the association between childhood abuse and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity. A mediation model evaluated the potential mediating role of amygdala connectivity in the relationship between childhood abuse and posttrauma anxiety and PTSD. ResultsChildhood abuse was associated with increased amygdala connectivity with the precuneus while covarying for age, gender, childhood neglect, and baseline PTSD symptoms. Amygdala-precuneus resting-state functional connectivity was a significant mediator of the effect of childhood abuse on anxiety symptoms 6 months posttrauma (B = 0.065; 95% CI, 0.013–0.130; SE = 0.030), but not PTSD. A secondary mediation analysis investigating depression as an outcome was not significant. ConclusionsAmygdala-precuneus connectivity may be an underlying neural mechanism by which childhood abuse increases risk for anxiety following adult trauma. Specifically, this heightened connectivity may reflect attentional vigilance for threat or a tendency toward negative self-referential thoughts. Findings suggest that childhood abuse may contribute to longstanding upregulation of attentional vigilance circuits, which makes one vulnerable to anxiety-related symptoms in adulthood.

The Dark and Gloomy Brain: Grey Matter Volume Alterations in Major Depressive Disorder–Fine-Grained Meta-Analyses

Background. While the brain correlates of major depressive disorder (MDD) have been extensively studied, there is no consensus conclusion so far. Various meta-analyses tried to determine the most consistent findings, but the results are often discordant for grey matter volume (GMV) atrophy and hypertrophy. Applying rigorous and stringent inclusion criteria and controlling for confounding factors, such as the presence of anxiety comorbidity, we carried out two novel meta-analyses on the existing literature to unveil MDD signatures. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed up to January 2023. Seventy-three studies on MDD patients reporting GMV abnormalities were included in the first meta-analysis, for a total of 6167 patients and 6237 healthy controls (HC). To test the effects of anxiety comorbidity, we conducted a second meta-analysis, by adding to the original pure MDD sample a new cohort of MDD patients with comorbid anxiety disorders (308 patients and 342 HC). An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis and a coordinate-based mapping approach separate for atrophy and hypertrophy were used to identify common brain structural alterations among patients. Results. The pure MDD sample exhibited atrophy in the left insula, as well as hypertrophy in the bilateral amygdala and parahippocampal gyri. When we added patients with comorbid anxiety to the original sample, bilateral insula atrophy emerged, whereas the hypertrophy results were not replicated. Conclusions. Our findings revealed important structural alterations in pure MDD patients, particularly in the insula and amygdala, which play key roles in sensory input integration and in emotional processing, respectively. Additionally, the amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus hypertrophy may be related to MDD functional overactivation to emotional stimuli, rumination, and overactive self-referential thinking. Conversely, the presence of anxiety comorbidity revealed separate effects which were not seen in the pure MDD sample, underscoring the importance of strict inclusion criteria for investigations of disorder-specific effects.

After the trans brain: a critique of the neurobiological accounts of embodied trans* identities

This paper critically analyses three main neurobiological hypotheses on trans* identities: the neurobiological theory about the origin of gender dysphoria, the neurodevelopmental cortical hypothesis, and the alternative hypothesis of self-referential thinking and body perception. In this study I focus then the attention on three elements: the issue of (de)pathologisation, the idea of the trans brain, and the aetiology of trans* identities. While the neurobiological theory about the origin of gender dysphoria and the neurodevelopmental cortical hypothesis claim the existence of the trans brain, each offering its own neurobiological depiction, the hypothesis of self-referential thinking and body perception doesn’t postulate a distinctive neurobiological trait for all trans* people. I problematize both portrayals of the trans brain departing from the findings and conceptualizations of the paradigm shifting brain mosaicism. Unlike the hypothesis of self-referential thinking and body perception that keeps the question of causation open, both the neurobiological theory about the origin of gender dysphoria and the neurodevelopmental cortical hypothesis situate the origin of trans* identities in the neurobiological domain. I challenge the biological deterministic framework in which this aetiology is inscribed from a dynamic processual entanglement perspective. Finally, concerning the issue of (de)pathologisation of trans* identities, an evolution can be seen in each of the hypothesis and among them, from the least to the most depathologising. However, I question their complete departure from a pathologising framework.

Me, Myself, and I: Neural Activity for Self versus Other across Development.

Although adults and children differ in self-vs.-other perception, a developmental perspective on this discriminative ability at the brain level is missing. This study examined neural activation for self-vs.-other in a sample of 39 participants spanning four different age groups, from 4-year-olds to adults. Self-related stimuli elicited higher neural activity within two brain regions related to self-referential thinking, empathy, and social cognition processes. Second, stimuli related to 'others' (i.e., unknown peer) elicited activation within nine additional brain regions. These regions are associated with multisensory processing, somatosensory skills, language, complex visual stimuli, self-awareness, empathy, theory of mind, and social recognition. Overall, activation maps were gradually increasing with age. However, patterns of activity were non-linear within the medial cingulate cortex for 'self' stimuli and within the left middle temporal gyrus for 'other' stimuli in 7-10-year-old participants. In both cases, there were no self-vs.-other differences. It suggests a critical period where the perception of self and others are similarly processed. Furthermore, 11-19-year-old participants showed no differences between others and self within the left inferior orbital gyrus, suggesting less distinction between self and others in social learning. Understanding the neural bases of self-vs.-other discrimination during development can offer valuable insights into how social contexts can influence learning processes during development, such as when to introduce peer-to-peer teaching or group learning.

Examining the influence of self-referential thinking on aberrant salience and jumping to conclusions bias in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

Background and objectivesCognitive processes such as aberrant salience and the jumping to conclusions (JTC) bias are implicated in the development of delusions. Self-referential thinking is implicated in this process; however, it is unknown how it may interact with aberrant salience and JTC bias in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSDs). This study examined associations of self-referential thinking with aberrant salience, JTC bias, and delusion severity, and whether self-referential stimuli led to an increase in aberrant salience and JTC bias in SSDs (n = 20) relative to psychiatrically healthy controls (n = 20). MethodsTo assess aberrant salience and JTC bias, participants were asked to complete both self-referential and neutral versions of the Salience Attribution Test (SAT) and the Beads Task, as well as self-report measures of aberrant salience and JTC bias. ResultsSelf-referential task condition interacted with clinical group to predict JTC beads task scores, such that participants with SSDs exhibited greater levels of JTC bias than psychiatrically healthy controls during the neutral task condition, when controlling for levels of motivation, cognitive insight, and functioning. Self-referential thinking was significantly associated with aberrant salience, JTC bias, and delusion severity. LimitationsThis experiment examined trait-level relationships between variables, so does not provide information about state-level interrelationships and would benefit from replication using more dynamic methods such as ecological momentary assessment. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the interrelationships between self-referential thinking, JTC bias, aberrant salience, and delusion severity, in individuals with SSDs, and support the interactive role of self-referential thinking in predicting JTC bias.

Social support and overeating in young women: The role of altering functional network connectivity patterns and negative emotions

Research suggests that social support has a protective effect on emotional health and emotionally induced overeating. Women are especially more sensitive to benefits from social support when facing eating problems. Although it has been demonstrated that social support can affect the neural processes of emotion regulation and reward perception, it is unclear how social support alters synergistic patterns in large-scale brain networks associated with negative emotions and overeating. We used a large sample of young women aged 17–22 years (N = 360) to examine how social support influences the synchrony of five intrinsic networks (executive control network [ECN], default mode network, salience network [SN], basal ganglia network, and precuneus network [PN]) and how these networks influence negative affect and overeating. Additionally, we explored these analyses in another sample of males (N = 136). After statistically controlling for differences in age and head movement, we observed significant associations of higher levels of social support with increased intra- and inter-network functional synchrony, particularly for ECN-centered network connectivity. Subsequent chain-mediated analyses showed that social support predicted overeating through the ECN−SN and ECN−PN network connectivity and negative emotions. However, these results were not found in men. These findings suggest that social support influences the synergistic patterns within and between intrinsic networks related to inhibitory control, emotion salience, self-referential thinking, and reward sensitivity. Furthermore, they reveal that social support and its neural markers may play a key role in young women's emotional health and eating behavior.

Worldviews and environmental ethics: Contributions of brain processing networks.

Research suggests that worldviews define our relationship to the environment, including our responsibility to the environment and our planet. This paper examines two specific worldviews and their potential environmental impact: the materialist worldview, considered to be the dominant worldview of Western society, and the so-called post-materialist worldview. We believe that changing the worldview of both individuals and society is key to changing environmental ethics, specifically attitudes, beliefs, and actions towards the environment. Recent neuroscience research suggests that brain filters and networks contribute to concealing an expanded nonlocal awareness. This creates self-referential thinking and contributes to the limited conceptual framework characteristic of a materialist worldview. We discuss the underlying concepts of both materialist and post-materialist worldviews including their impact on environmental ethics, then explore the various types of neural filters and processing networks that contribute to a materialist worldview, and finally explore methods for modifying neural filters and changing worldviews.

The default mode network and rumination in individuals at-risk for depression.

The default mode network (DMN) is a network of brain regions active during rest and self-referential thinking. Individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) show increased or decreased DMN activity, relative to controls. DMN activity has been linked to a tendency to ruminate in MDD. It is unclear if individuals who are at-risk for, but who have no current or past history of depression, also show differential DMN activity associated with rumination. We investigated whether females with high levels of neuroticism with no current or lifetime mood or anxiety disorders (n=25) show increased DMN activation, specifically when processing negative self-referential information, compared with females with average levels of neuroticism (n=28). Participants heard criticism and praise during functional MRI scans in a 3T Siemens Prisma scanner. The at-risk group showed greater activation in two DMN regions, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL), after hearing criticism, but not praise (relative to females with average levels of neuroticism). Criticism-specific activation in the IPL was significantly correlated with rumination. Individuals at-risk for depression therefore may have an underlying neurocognitive vulnerability to use a brain network typically involved in thinking about oneself to preferentially ruminate about negative, rather than positive, information.

Serotonergic psychedelics for depression: What do we know about neurobiological mechanisms of action?

Current treatment options for major depressive disorder (MDD) have limited efficacy and are associated with adverse effects. Recent studies investigating the antidepressant effect of serotonergic psychedelics-also known as classic psychedelics-have promising preliminary results with large effect sizes. In this context, we conducted a review of the putative neurobiological underpinnings of the mechanism of antidepressant action of these drugs. A narrative review was conducted using PubMed to identify published articles evaluating the antidepressant mechanism of action of serotonergic psychedelics. Serotonergic psychedelics have serotonin (5HT)2A agonist or partial agonist effects. Their rapid antidepressant effects may be mediated-in part-by their potent 5HT2A agonism, leading to rapid receptor downregulation. In addition, these psychedelics impact brain derived neurotrophic factor and immunomodulatory responses, both of which may play a role in their antidepressant effect. Several neuroimaging and neurophysiology studies evaluating mechanistic change from a network perspective can help us to further understand their mechanism of action. Some, but not all, data suggest that psychedelics may exert their effects, in part, by disrupting the activity of the default mode network, which is involved in both introspection and self-referential thinking and is over-active in MDD. The mechanisms of action underlying the antidepressant effect of serotonergic psychedelics remains an active area of research. Several competing theories are being evaluated and more research is needed to determine which ones are supported by the most robust evidence.

Interpersonal attribution bias and social evaluation in adolescent eating disorders.

Improved understanding of adolescent eating disorders (EDs), including identification and refinement of treatment and recovery targets, may help improve clinical outcomes. Interpersonal function is a proposed risk and maintenance factor that may be particularly relevant given the significance of adolescence for both psychosocial development and ED onset. This study examined self-referential thinking in adolescents with EDs compared to healthy adolescents. Twenty-nine adolescents with EDs and 31 healthy controls completed a self-report measure of interpersonal attributions as well as a verbal appraisal task that required conducting direct and indirect evaluations about oneself and direct evaluations about others. The ED group had a more negative self-attribution bias than the control group (p=0.006) even when controlling for depression severity. Additionally, the ED group exhibited less positive direct self (p<0.001), direct social (p=0.015), and social reflected self-appraisals (p=0.011) than the healthy cohort. After including depression as a covariate in the verbal appraisal model, the model was no longer significant, suggesting group differences related to social appraisals may be mediated by depression. Adolescents with EDs have more negative interpersonal beliefs than comparison adolescents. Future studies are needed to determine how the constructs identified here relate to clinical course.

Perception of eye contact, self-referential thinking and age.

Increased thinking about one's self has been proposed to widen the gaze cone, that is, the range of gaze deviations that an observer judges as looking directly at them (eye contact). This study investigated the effects of a self-referential thinking manipulation and demographic factors on the gaze cone. In a preregistered experiment (N=200), the self-referential thinking manipulation, as compared to a control manipulation, did not influence the gaze cone, or the use of first-person pronouns in a manipulation check measuring self-referential processing. This may indicate a failure of the manipulation and participants' lack of effort. However, participants' age was significantly correlated with both measures: older people had wider gaze cones and used more self-referring pronouns. A second experiment (N=300) further examined the effect of the manipulation and demographic factors on self-referential processing, and the results were replicated. These findings may reflect age-related self-reference and positivity effects.

Inter-Network Brain Functional Connectivity in Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth Who Experience Gender Dysphoria.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is characterized by distress due to an incongruence between experienced gender and sex assigned at birth. Brain functional connectivity in adolescents who experience GD may be associated with experienced gender (vs. assigned sex) and/or brain networks implicated in own-body perception. Furthermore, sexual orientation may be related to brain functional organization given commonalities in developmental mechanisms proposed to underpin GD and same-sex attractions. Here, we applied group independent component analysis to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) BOLD timeseries data to estimate inter-network (i.e., between independent components) timeseries correlations, representing functional connectivity, in 17 GD adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB) not receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy, 17 cisgender girls, and 15 cisgender boys (ages 12-17 years). Sexual orientation was represented by degree of androphilia-gynephilia and sexual attractions strength. Multivariate partial least squares analyses found that functional connectivity differed among cisgender boys, cisgender girls, and GD AFAB, with the largest difference between cisgender boys and GD AFAB. Regarding sexual orientation and age, the brain’s intrinsic functional organization of GD AFAB was both similar to and different from cisgender girls, and both differed from cisgender boys. The pattern of group differences and the networks involved aligned with the hypothesis that brain functional organization is different among GD AFAB (vs. cisgender) adolescents, and certain aspects of this organization relate to brain areas implicated in own-body perception and self-referential thinking. Overall, brain functional organization of GD AFAB was generally more similar to that of cisgender girls than cisgender boys.

Impact of stereotype threat on brain activity during memory tasks in older adults

We report the first neuroimaging experiment to investigate the impact of explicitly activating aging stereotypes (i.e., stereotype threat) on brain activity during cognitive tasks. Cognitively normal older adults read about aging stereotypes or a control passage prior to taking episodic memory, working memory, and a non-demanding control task during fMRI. At the group level, stereotype activation did not impact cognitive performance or measures sensitive to stress and anxiety (physiological or self-report), but like prior work, highly educated and retired adults exhibited greater stereotype effects on episodic memory. At the neural level, stereotype activation did not impact brain activity in executive control or emotional regulation regions previously linked to stereotype threat effects in younger adults, suggesting that stereotype threat operates differently in older adults. Instead, on each task, the stereotype group showed more brain activity than the control group in parietal midline regions (e.g., precuneus, posterior cingulate). Although activity in these regions can arise from many processes, they have previously been associated with self-referential thinking and error-prevention focus, and in our study, brain activity in these regions was associated with slower responses and lower false alarm errors on the episodic memory task. Collectively, these findings are more consistent with the regulatory fit hypothesis than an executive control interference hypothesis of stereotype threat effects in older adults, whereby older adults adopt an error-prevention mindset in response to explicit stereotype threat.

Neural mechanisms of aberrant self-referential processing in patients with generalized anxiety disorder

Massive theoretical studies in clinical psychology have implicated the self in understanding internalizing disorders (i.e., anxiety and mood disorders), in which self-related tasks were frequently used to investigate internalizing psychopathology. As one of the most frequently seen internalizing disorder in primary care, patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are characterized by inappropriate self-related processing such as negative self-referential thinking. However, relevant neural mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, participants underwent a self-related task which they were presented with several positive and negative trait words and were required to judge the extent to which these traits matched themselves when compared to their average peers. Aberrant brain activation and functional connectivity of GAD were detected during processing positive and negative traits. Compared to healthy controls (HCs), patients with GAD exhibited abnormal self-processing which manifested as lower biased self-rating scores particularly for negative traits and weaker brain activity in the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, superior temporal sulcus (STS), and bilateral lingual gyrus when processing trait words. Abnormal functional connections between these hypoactive regions and regions associated with reward, emotion, and theory of mind were observed in subsequent psychophysiological interaction analysis. An attenuation of connectivity between the left insula and left STS was associated with greater severity of anxiety symptom in GAD patients. These findings provide insight into the abnormal neurocognitive mechanisms of biased self-related processing in GAD patients, which involves distorted self-schema accompanied by abnormal activation and functional connections of regions implicated in self-related and social cognition processing.

Neural functional connectivity during rumination in individuals with adverse childhood experiences

ABSTRACT Background Childhood adversity has been associated with greater risk of developing psychopathology, altered processing of emotional stimuli, and changes in neural functioning. Although the neural correlates of rumination have been previously described, little is known about how adverse childhood experiences are related to brain functioning during rumination. Objective This study explored differences in neural functional connectivity between participants with and without histories of childhood adversity, controlling for tendency to ruminate, during resting-state and induction of rumination. Method A total of 86 adults (51 women) took part. Based on a diagnostic clinical interview, participants were divided into groups with and without adverse childhood experiences. All participants underwent resting-state imaging and a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan where they performed a rumination induction task. Results Individuals with childhood adversities differed from those without adverse experiences in seed-based functional connectivity from right angular gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus during the rumination task. There were also group differences during resting-state in seed-based functional connectivity from the right angular gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus. Conclusions Childhood adversity is associated with altered brain functioning during rumination and resting-state, even after controlling for tendency to ruminate. Our results shed light on the consequences of early adversity. People who experienced childhood adversities differ from those with no adverse experiences in brain functional connectivity when engaged in negative repetitive self-referential thinking. HIGHLIGHTS This study focuses on the relationship between the presence of childhood adversity and brain activation during rumination in adults. Childhood adversity is associated with aberrant functional connectivity during rumination as well as resting-state

Self-regulation of the posterior cingulate cortex with real-time fMRI neurofeedback augmented mindfulness training in healthy adolescents: A nonrandomized feasibility study

Mindfulness training (MT) promotes the development of one’s ability to observe and attend to internal and external experiences with objectivity and nonjudgment with evidence to improve psychological well-being. Real-time functional MRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) is a noninvasive method of modulating activity of a brain region or circuit. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) has been hypothesized to be an important hub instantiating a mindful state. This nonrandomized, single-arm study examined the feasibility and tolerability of training typically developing adolescents to self-regulate the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) using rtfMRI-nf during MT. Thirty-four adolescents (mean age: 15 years; 14 females) completed the neurofeedback augmented mindfulness training task, including Focus-on-Breath (MT), Describe (self-referential thinking), and Rest conditions, across three neurofeedback and two non-neurofeedback runs (Observe, Transfer). Self-report assessments demonstrated the feasibility and tolerability of the task. Neurofeedback runs differed significantly from non-neurofeedback runs for the Focus-on-Breath versus Describe contrast, characterized by decreased activity in the PCC during the Focus-on-Breath condition (z = −2.38 to −6.27). MT neurofeedback neural representation further involved the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior insula, hippocampus, and amygdala. State awareness of physical sensations increased following rtfMRI-nf and was maintained at 1-week follow-up (Cohens’ d = 0.69). Findings demonstrate feasibility and tolerability of rtfMRI-nf in healthy adolescents, replicates the role of PCC in MT, and demonstrate a potential neuromodulatory mechanism to leverage and streamline the learning of mindfulness practice. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier #NCT04053582; August 12, 2019).