Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback

TEDxMIT Talk:

Tune Your Mind: a personalized brain fingerprint

“In his talk, Clemens will discuss a novel real-time neurofeedback system that is personalized and can enhance mental training and reconfigure brain function. He will specifically show how it has helped patients with treatment resistant schizophrenia to learn how to regain control of their minds by means of meditation, thus helping them improve their psychopathology.” –TEDxMIT

Schematic representation of the real-time fMRI (rt-fMRI) neurofeedback experimental procedure

A) Baseline resting state (RS-pre) scan. B) Functional Localization of the default mode network (DMN) and the central executive network (CEN). C) rt-fMRI feedback process showing the online monitoring of brain states while performing “mental noting”. If rt-fMRI analysis resulted in a Positive Diametric Activity (PDA) score (red shadowing) the central white dot of the feedback display moved in the upper direction and towards the red circle. The contrary was the case when a negative PDA score was triggered (blue shadowing). D) Post rt-fMRI resting state.

Publications

  • Zhang, J., Raya, J., Morfini, F., Urban, Z., Pagliaccio, D., Yendiki, A., … & Whitfield-Gabrieli, S. (2022). Targeting default mode network connectivity with mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback: A pilot study among adolescents with affective disorder history. bioRxiv. [preprint] https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.22.504796
  • Zhang, J., Bauer, C., Morfini, F., Lee, Y. J., Awad, A., Stone, L., Northoff, G., Shinn, A., Niznikiewicz, M., Whitfield-Gabrieli, S. (2021). Baseline functional connectivity between default mode network and auditory cortex predicts improvement in auditory hallucination following real-time neurofeedback in schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry, 89(9), S354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.882
  • Okano, K., Bauer, C., Ghosh, S. S., Lee, Y. J., Melero, H., de Los Angeles, C., Nestor, P. G., Del Re, E. C., Northoff, G., Whitfield-Gabrieli, S., & Niznikiewicz, M. A. (2020). Real-time fMRI feedback impacts brain activation, results in auditory hallucinations reduction: Part 1: Superior temporal gyrus -Preliminary evidence. Psychiatry research, 286, 112862. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112862​
  • Bauer, C., Okano, K., Ghosh, S. S., Lee, Y. J., Melero, H., Angeles, C. L., Nestor, P. G., Del Re, E. C., Northoff, G., Niznikiewicz, M. A., & Whitfield-Gabrieli, S. (2020). Real-time fMRI neurofeedback reduces auditory hallucinations and modulates resting state connectivity of involved brain regions: Part 2: Default mode network -preliminary evidence. Psychiatry research, 284, 112770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112770
  • Van Lutterveld, R., Houlihan, S. D., Pal, P., Sacchet, M. D., McFarlane-Blake, C., Patel, P. R., … & Brewer, J. A. (2017). Source-space EEG neurofeedback links subjective experience with brain activity during effortless awareness meditation. NeuroImage, 151, 117-127. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.047
  • McDonald, A. R., Muraskin, J., Van Dam, N. T., Froehlich, C., Puccio, B., Pellman, J., … & Craddock, R. C. (2017). The real-time fMRI neurofeedback based stratification of Default Network Regulation Neuroimaging data repository. NeuroImage, 146, 157-170. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.10.048
  • 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. (2014) Optimizing real time fMRI neurofeedback for therapeutic discovery and development. Neuroimage Clin.; 5:245-55. 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.07.002
  • Hinds O, Thompson TW, Ghosh S, Yoo JJ, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Triantafyllou C, Gabrieli JD. (2013) Roles of default-mode network and supplementary motor area in human vigilance performance: evidence from real-time fMRI. J Neurophysiol.; 109(5):1250-8. 10.1152/jn.00533.2011
  • Yoo JJ, Hinds O, Ofen N, Thompson TW, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Triantafyllou C, Gabrieli JD. (2012) When the brain is prepared to learn: enhancing human learning using real-time fMRI. Neuroimage; 59(1):846-52. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.063
  • Hinds O, Ghosh S, Thompson TW, Yoo JJ, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Triantafyllou C, Gabrieli JD. (2011) Computing moment-to-moment BOLD activation for real-time neurofeedback. Neuroimage; 54(1):361-8. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.07.060
  • deCharms RC, Christoff K, Glover GH, Pauly JM, Whitfield S, Gabrieli JD. (2004) Learned regulation of spatially localized brain activation using real-time fMRI. Neuroimage; 21(1):436-43. 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2003.08.041