Molecular psychiatry
June 1, 2023
Jiahe Zhang, Jovicarole Raya, Francesca Morfini et al.
65 citations
Adolescents with a lifetime history of depression or anxiety (n = 9) participated in a proof-of-concept study using personalized mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback to reduce default mode network hyperconnectivity, a neural mechanism linked to depressive symptoms. After a resting state fMRI localizer to map each adolescent's default mode and central executive networks, a brief mindfulness training and neurofeedback session followed. The neurofeedback successfully engaged the target brain state, with participants spending more time with default mode network activation lower than central executive network activation. Within-default mode network connectivity decreased in all nine adolescents, correlating with increased state mindfulness after the session. Reduced within-default mode network connectivity mediated the link between better neurofeedback performance and increased state mindfulness, suggesting this non-invasive method can modulate networks involved in adolescent depression.
BMC psychiatry
October 17, 2023
Paul A Bloom, David Pagliaccio, Jiahe Zhang et al.
17 citations
Adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) may benefit from a non-invasive technique that combines mindfulness with real-time fMRI neurofeedback (mbNF) to reduce activity in the default mode network (DMN), a brain network linked to rumination. In a planned trial, 90 adolescents aged 13–18 with MDD will be randomly assigned to receive either 15 or 30 minutes of mbNF. During the procedure, participants practice mindfulness while a ball on a screen moves based on their brain activity, targeting the frontoparietal network relative to the DMN. The study will test whether mbNF reduces functional connectivity within the DMN and whether longer dosing produces greater effects, with secondary outcomes including changes in depressive symptoms and rumination.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
September 15, 2024
Isaac N Treves, Keara D Greene, Zia Bajwa et al.
7 citations
preprint
A systematic review of EEG and fMRI studies combining mindfulness meditation with neurofeedback found that fMRI studies primarily aimed to downregulate the default-mode network (DMN). Although decreases in DMN activations were observed during neurofeedback, there is a lack of evidence for transfer effects, and most studies lacked adequate controls such as sham neurofeedback, so DMN decreases may be confounded by general task-related deactivation. EEG studies most robustly supported modulation of theta band activity. Both EEG and fMRI mindfulness-based neurofeedback have been implemented with high fidelity in clinical populations, but mental health benefits have not been established. The review recommends sham-controlled RCTs and clear reporting using CRED-NF guidelines.