FMRI neurofeedback:
Brain self-regulation or biobehavioral intervention?
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1
McGill University, Canada
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2
Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Canada
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3
Institute for Community and Family Psychiatry, Canada
Neurofeedback with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI-nf) heralds new hope concerning the self-regulation of brain and behavior. Theoretically, modulating specific brain activations promises to tailor cognition, emotion, thought, and action; however, reducing complex mental health issues to circumscribed neural regions remains elusive. Empirically, findings from the vast majority of fMRI-nf experiments suggest that we can self-regulate diverse brain activations, yet replication of behavioral findings remains sparse. Here we provide a systematic review that integrates and synthesizes information from 78 primary fMRI-nf research experiments – the bulk of currently available information. To disentangle placebo influences and establish the specific effects of neurofeedback, we highlight the need for double-blind, sham-controlled studies with rigorous and standardized statistical analyses. We further elucidate the value of comparing neural activation and behavior after neurofeedback to pre-training baseline measures, initial trials, and data from control participants. To drive fMRI-nf toward clinical inclusion, relevant studies must confirm the sustainability, transferability, and practicality of fMRI-nf in patient populations. We can change brain activations with fMRI-nf; however, additional carefully designed experiments would have to unravel whether this technique constitutes an effective biobehavioral intervention.
Acknowledgements
Dr. Amir Raz acknowledges funding from the Canada Research Chair program, Discovery and Discovery Acceleration Supplement grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Bial Foundation. Robert T. Thibault, also a Bial recipient, acknowledges an Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship from NSERC.
Keywords:
Neurofeedback,
rtfMRI,
Brain Imaging Methods,
fMRI methods,
Applied Neurosciences,
brain self-regulation,
Self regulation,
Psychiatry,
Clinical Protocols,
ADHD
Conference:
SAN2016 Meeting, Corfu, Greece, 6 Oct - 9 Oct, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation in SAN 2016 Conference
Topic:
Symposium in fMRI and NIRS Neurofeedback
Citation:
Thibault
RT,
MacPherson
A,
Roth
R and
Raz
A
(2016). FMRI neurofeedback:
Brain self-regulation or biobehavioral intervention?
.
Conference Abstract:
SAN2016 Meeting.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2016.220.00092
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Received:
30 Jul 2016;
Published Online:
01 Aug 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Mr. Robert T Thibault, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, robert.t.thibault@gmail.com