Real-time Neurofeedback Training of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Based on Positive Episodic Future Thinking

Self-regulation of the mPFC Using Rt-fMRI NF Training to Enhance Positive Anticipation for Future Events

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy; Neurofeedback
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure

Detailed Description

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
• Enrollment (Actual): 61
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Sichuan
    • Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 611731
      • University of Electronic Science and Technology of China(UESTC)

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of brain injury
• Psychiatric or Neurological Disorder
• Contraindications for MRI
• Regular use of psychotropic substances (medication, drugs)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Neurofeedback training; Subjects in the neurofeedback training group are instructed to regulate their medial prefrontal cortex activity based on the visual neurofeedback.	Procedure: real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure; real-time fMRI neurofeedback training procedure running on the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.2 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands)
Sham Comparator: Control; Subjects in the sham control group receive the same instruction but perform the regulation based on neurofeedback from an unrelated region (i.e. primary motor cortex) which is not involved in episodic future thinking (a controlled sham region).	Procedure: real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure; real-time fMRI neurofeedback training procedure running on the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.2 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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	1 hour

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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).	1 hour
Training-related changes in motivational effort	Training-induced changes in motivational effort as measured by the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT)	1 hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 15, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): January 22, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): August 29, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 22, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: real-time neurofeedback; episodic future thinking; mPFC
• Other Study ID Numbers: BAM_lab_NF_05

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Corresponding individual level data will be made available upon request

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No