Randomized active-sham controlled between-subject real-time fMRI neurofeedback trial aiming to modulate activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to improve subjective positive anticipation.
A randomized double-blind sham-controlled between-subject design using real-time fMRI neurofeedback. In a randomized order, a total of 60 healthy subjects will be recruited and assigned (1) experimental group (EG; N=30), which receives real neurofeedback from the left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), or (2) control group (CG; N=30) which receives sham neurofeedback from the primary motor cortex (M1). Neurofeedback training consists of 1 baseline session without feedback, 4 training sessions with real-time feedback, and and 1 transfer session without feedback. Resting state fMRI will be employed to explore neural effects. Objectives are to determine (1) if subjects in the neurofeedback (NF) group can gain volitional control over the mPFC activation using positive episodic regulation strategy, (2) whether successful increased modulation of the mPFC could enhance positive anticipation for future events and motivation (using the Effort-Expenditure for Reward Task, EEfRT).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
61
real-time fMRI neurofeedback training procedure running on the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.2 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands)
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China(UESTC)
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Neural activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) based on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal
Training-induced changes in mPFC activity will be assessed by analyzing BOLD-level activation of the mPFC
Time frame: 1 hour
Training-related changes in anticipated pleasure
Participants will be required to rate the anticipated pleasantness of future events using a Likert Scale ranging from 1 to 9 (1 = not at all pleasant) and 9 = very pleasant).
Time frame: 1 hour
Training-related changes in motivational effort
Training-induced changes in motivational effort as measured by the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT)
Time frame: 1 hour
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