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

NCT ID: NCT06787248

Last Updated: 2025-08-29

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 61 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-01-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-30

Brief Summary

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.

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).

Conditions

Healthy; Neurofeedback

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

Neurofeedback training

Subjects in the neurofeedback training group are instructed to regulate their medial prefrontal cortex activity based on the visual neurofeedback.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

real-time fMRI neurofeedback training procedure running on the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.2 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

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).

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

real-time fMRI neurofeedback training procedure running on the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.2 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

Interventions

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)

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Benjamin Becker

Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China(UESTC)

Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Countries

China

Other Identifiers

BAM_lab_NF_05

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id