Title
Preliminary findings on long‐term effects of fMRI neurofeedback training on functional networks involved in sustained attention
Author
Gustavo Santo Pedro Pamplona
Sensory‐Motor Laboratory (SeMoLa), Jules‐Gonin Eye Hospital/Fondation Asile des Aveugles Department of Ophthalmology/University of Lausanne
Jennifer Heldner
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital University of Zurich
Robert Langner
Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf
... show all
Abstract
Introduction: Neurofeedback based on functional magnetic resonance imaging allows for learning voluntary control over one's own brain activity, aiming to enhance cognition and clinical symptoms. We previously reported improved sustained attention temporarily by training healthy participants to up-regulate the differential activity of the sustained attention network minus the default mode network (DMN). However, the long-term brain and behavioral effects of this training have not yet been studied. In general, despite their relevance, long-term learning effects of neurofeedback training remain under-explored.
Methods: Here, we complement our previously reported results by evaluating the neurofeedback training effects on functional networks involved in sustained attention and by assessing behavioral and brain measures before, after, and 2 months after training. The behavioral measures include task as well as questionnaire scores, and the brain measures include activity and connectivity during self-regulation runs without feedback (i.e., transfer runs) and during resting-state runs from 15 healthy individuals.
Results: Neurally, we found that participants maintained their ability to control the differential activity during follow-up sessions. Further, exploratory analyses showed that the training increased the functional connectivity between the DMN and the occipital gyrus, which was maintained during follow-up transfer runs but not during follow-up resting-state runs. Behaviorally, we found that enhanced sustained attention right after training returned to baseline level during follow-up.
Conclusion: The discrepancy between lasting regulation-related brain changes but transient behavioral and resting-state effects raises the question of how neural changes induced by neurofeedback training translate to potential behavioral improvements. Since neurofeedback directly targets brain measures to indirectly improve behavior in the long term, a better understanding of the brain–behavior associations during and after neurofeedback training is needed to develop its full potential as a promising scientific and clinical tool.
Keywords
fMRI-neurofeedbackfollow-upfunctional connectivitysustained attention
Object type
Language
English [eng]
Persistent identifier
phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:2039929
Appeared in
Title
Brain and Behavior
Volume
13
Issue
10
ISSN
2162-3279
Issued
2023
Publication
Wiley
Version type
Date issued
2023
Access rights
Rights
Rights statement
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