Human Brain Mapping
April 9, 2021
Obada Al Zoubi, Masaya Misaki, Jerzy Bodurka et al.
39 citations
A single 90-minute session of Floatation-REST, which minimizes sensory input, reduces resting-state functional connectivity within and between posterior hubs of the default-mode network and somatomotor cortices extending into the posterior insula. A control condition of resting in a zero-gravity chair produced a similar pattern of reduced connectivity. The findings suggest that reducing nervous system stimulation is reflected by decreased connectivity in brain networks that construct and map the sense of self.
Translational psychiatry
July 13, 2025
Xiaoqian Yu, Aki Tsuchiyagaito, Masaya Misaki et al.
4 citations
Adolescents who experienced early life adversity (ELA) show greater difficulty down-regulating the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a key node of the default mode network, compared to healthy controls. A neurofeedback-augmented mindfulness training combining breath focus with real-time fMRI neurofeedback targeting the PCC was tested in 43 ELA-exposed and 40 healthy adolescents. Those with ELA were randomly assigned to active or sham neurofeedback. Both active and sham groups showed similar PCC down-regulation, and all adolescents reported increased state mindfulness after training. ELA-exposed adolescents reported greater improvements in positive affect, negative affect, and stress at one-week follow-up relative to controls, but there was no difference between active and sham neurofeedback on self-reported measures. The approach was feasible and acceptable for ELA-exposed adolescents but may not enhance mindfulness training beyond sham.
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
October 26, 2024
Saampras Ganesan, Nicholas T. van Dam, Sunjeev K. Kamboj et al.
3 citations
preprint
Personalized high-precision neurofeedback (NF) can help novice meditators better disengage from mental activity during meditation, improving emotional well-being and mindful awareness. In a single-blind, controlled study, 40 novices received two days of meditation training with feedback from either their own or a matched participant's posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activity, measured using 7 Tesla fMRI. The experimental group showed stronger functional decoupling of PCC from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, indicating improved control over disengagement. This led to greater improvements in emotional well-being and mindful awareness during a week of real-world self-guided meditation, supporting the utility of NF-guided meditation training.
Frontiers in neuroscience
January 1, 2024
Kelly T Cosgrove, Aki Tsuchiyagaito, Zsofia P Cohen et al.
3 citations
A pilot study tested whether a single session of neurofeedback-augmented mindfulness training (NAMT) altered resting-state functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in typically developing adolescents. Thirty-one adolescents (average age 14.8 years; 45% female) underwent resting-state fMRI before and after the NAMT task. The hypothesized decrease in connectivity between the PCC and other default mode network regions was not supported. However, functional connectivity between the PCC and a cluster including the left hippocampus and amygdala increased significantly after the task (Fisher's Z from 0.16 to 0.26). This preliminary finding suggests NAMT may strengthen connectivity between default mode and salience regions, potentially supporting self-referential and emotional processing.