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Williams LM, Whitfield Gabrieli S. Neuroimaging for precision medicine in psychiatry. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01917-z. [PMID: 39039140 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01917-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Although the lifetime burden due to mental disorders is increasing, we lack tools for more precise diagnosing and treating prevalent and disabling disorders such as major depressive disorder. We lack strategies for selecting among available treatments or expediting access to new treatment options. This critical review concentrates on functional neuroimaging as a modality of measurement for precision psychiatry, focusing on major depressive and anxiety disorders. We begin by outlining evidence for the use of functional neuroimaging to stratify the heterogeneity of these disorders, based on underlying circuit dysfunction. We then review the current landscape of how functional neuroimaging-derived circuit predictors can predict treatment outcomes and clinical trajectories in depression and anxiety. Future directions for advancing clinically appliable neuroimaging measures are considered. We conclude by considering the opportunities and challenges of translating neuroimaging measures into practice. As an illustration, we highlight one approach for quantifying brain circuit function at an individual level, which could serve as a model for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Williams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
| | - Susan Whitfield Gabrieli
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 805 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA, 02120, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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Morfini F, Bauer CCC, Zhang J, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Shinn AK, Niznikiewicz MA. Targeting the superior temporal gyrus with real-time fMRI neurofeedback: A pilot study of the indirect effects on self-referential processes in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2024; 270:358-365. [PMID: 38968807 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and auditory hallucinations (AHs) display a distorted sense of self and self-other boundaries. Alterations of activity in midline cortical structures such as the prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during self-reference as well as in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) have been proposed as neuromarkers of SZ and AHs. METHODS In this randomized, participant-blinded, sham-controlled trial, 22 adults (18 males) with SZ spectrum disorders (SZ or schizoaffective disorder) and frequent medication-resistant AHs received one session of real-time fMRI neurofeedback (NFB) either from the STG (n = 11; experimental group) or motor cortex (n = 11; control group). During NFB, participants were instructed to upregulate their STG activity by attending to pre-recorded sentences spoken in their own voice and downregulate it by ignoring unfamiliar voices. Before and after NFB, participants completed a self-reference task where they evaluated if trait adjectives referred to themselves (self condition), Abraham Lincoln (other condition), or whether adjectives had a positive valence (semantic condition). FMRI activation analyses of self-reference task data tested between-group changes after NFB (self>semantic, post>pre-NFB, experimental>control). Analyses were pre-masked within a self-reference network. RESULTS Activation analyses revealed significantly (p < 0.001) greater activation increase in the experimental, compared to the control group, after NFB within anterior regions of the self-reference network (mPFC, ACC, superior frontal cortex). CONCLUSIONS STG-NFB was associated with activity increase in the mPFC, ACC, and superior frontal cortex during self-reference. Modulating the STG is associated with activation changes in other, not-directly targeted, regions subserving higher-level cognitive processes associated with self-referential processes and AHs psychopathology in SZ. CLINICALTRIALS GOV: Rt-fMRI Neurofeedback and AH in Schizophrenia; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03504579.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Morfini
- Northeastern University, Department of Psychology, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Clemens C C Bauer
- Northeastern University, Department of Psychology, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jiahe Zhang
- Northeastern University, Department of Psychology, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Northeastern University, Department of Psychology, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ann K Shinn
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, USA; McLean Hospital, Psychotic Disorders Division, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Margaret A Niznikiewicz
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, Brockton, MA 02301, USA; Boston VA Research Institute, Boston, MA 02130, USA
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Daidone C, Rai HP, Loveless K. Exploring the Impact of Auditory Hallucinations on Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Adulthood: A Case Report. Cureus 2024; 16:e53764. [PMID: 38465126 PMCID: PMC10921975 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Auditory hallucinations are sounds that patients perceive as coming from outside of their body. Though the mechanism causing auditory hallucinations is not entirely understood, there is a significant amount of evidence suggesting that auditory hallucinations leave lasting impacts on the brain in the same regions that are involved in auditory processing. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a poorly understood condition in which patients lose their hearing typically in the fifth decade of life. Here we present a case of a 42-year-old female with a history of schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations who experienced SSNHL at age 40. As the patient had no known risk factors for SSNHL, we propose that this patient's SSNHL is linked to her history of auditory hallucinations. Through the presentation of this case, we hope to explore the pathogenesis of auditory hallucinations and investigate a potentially bidirectional association between auditory hallucinations and SSNHL. This study calls for further investigation into the impacts of auditory hallucinations on the brain, possible etiologies of SSNHL, and the possibility that auditory hallucinations serve as a risk factor for SSNHL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camryn Daidone
- Research, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Shreveport, USA
| | - Hitesh P Rai
- Research, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Shreveport, USA
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Fagerland SM, Berntsen HR, Fredriksen M, Endestad T, Skouras S, Rootwelt-Revheim ME, Undseth RM. Exploring protocol development: Implementing systematic contextual memory to enhance real-time fMRI neurofeedback. JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL BIOIMPEDANCE 2024; 15:41-62. [PMID: 38827812 PMCID: PMC11141335 DOI: 10.2478/joeb-2024-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Objective The goal of this study was to explore the development and implementation of a protocol for real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) and to assess the potential for enhancing the selective brain activation using stimuli from Virtual Reality (VR). In this study we focused on two specific brain regions, supplementary motor area (SMA) and right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG). Publications by other study groups have suggested impaired function in these specific brain regions in patients with the diagnoses Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette's Syndrome (TS). This study explored the development of a protocol to investigate if attention and contextual memory may be used to systematically strengthen the procedure of rtfMRI-nf. Methods We used open-science software and platforms for rtfMRI-nf and for developing a simulated repetition of the rtfMRI-nf brain training in VR. We conducted seven exploratory tests in which we updated the protocol at each step. During rtfMRI-nf, MRI images are analyzed live while a person is undergoing an MRI scan, and the results are simultaneously shown to the person in the MRI-scanner. By focusing the analysis on specific regions of the brain, this procedure can be used to help the person strengthen conscious control of these regions. The VR simulation of the same experience involved a walk through the hospital toward the MRI scanner where the training sessions were conducted, as well as a subsequent simulated repetition of the MRI training. The VR simulation was a 2D projection of the experience.The seven exploratory tests involved 19 volunteers. Through this exploration, methods for aiming within the brain (e.g. masks/algorithms for coordinate-system control) and calculations for the analyses (e.g. calculations based on connectivity versus activity) were updated by the project team throughout the project. The final procedure involved three initial rounds of rtfMRI-nf for learning brain strategies. Then, the volunteers were provided with VR headsets and given instructions for one week of use. Afterward, a new session with three rounds of rtfMRI-nf was conducted. Results Through our exploration of the indirect effect parameters - brain region activity (directed oxygenated blood flow), connectivity (degree of correlated activity in different regions), and neurofeedback score - the volunteers tended to increase activity in the reinforced brain regions through our seven tests. Updates of procedures and analyses were always conducted between pilots, and never within. The VR simulated repetition was tested in pilot 7, but the role of the VR contribution in this setting is unclear due to underpowered testing. Conclusion This proof-of-concept protocol implies how rtfMRI-nf may be used to selectively train two brain regions (SMA and rIFG). The method may likely be adapted to train any given region in the brain, but readers are advised to update and adapt the procedure to experimental needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Maude Fagerland
- The Intervention Centre, Division of Technology and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cognitive and Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Henrik Røsholm Berntsen
- The Intervention Centre, Division of Technology and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mats Fredriksen
- Neuropsychatric Outpatient Clinic, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
| | - Tor Endestad
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, Norway
| | - Stavros Skouras
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, CH-1202, Switzerland
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, NO-5020, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital Bern, Bern, CH-3010, Switzerland
| | - Mona Elisabeth Rootwelt-Revheim
- The Intervention Centre, Division of Technology and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ragnhild Marie Undseth
- The Intervention Centre, Division of Technology and Innovation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Cognitive and Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Division of Radiology Research, The Intervention Centre, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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Donantueno C, Yger P, Cabestaing F, Jardri R. fMRI-based neurofeedback strategies and the way forward to treating phasic psychiatric symptoms. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1275229. [PMID: 38125404 PMCID: PMC10731299 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1275229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are the perfect illustration of phasic symptoms in psychiatric disorders. For some patients and in some situations, AVH cannot be relieved by standard therapeutic approaches. More advanced treatments are needed, among which neurofeedback, and more specifically fMRI-based neurofeedback, has been considered. This paper discusses the different possibilities to approach neurofeedback in the specific context of phasic symptoms, by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the available neurofeedback options. It concludes with the added value of the recently introduced information-based neurofeedback. Although requiring an online fMRI signal classifier, which can be quite complex to implement, this neurofeedback strategy opens a door toward an alternative treatment option for complex phasic symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candela Donantueno
- University of Lille, INSERM U-1172, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Center, Plasticity & SubjectivitY Team, Fontan Hospital, Lille, France
| | - Pierre Yger
- University of Lille, INSERM U-1172, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Center, Plasticity & SubjectivitY Team, Fontan Hospital, Lille, France
| | | | - Renaud Jardri
- University of Lille, INSERM U-1172, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition Center, Plasticity & SubjectivitY Team, Fontan Hospital, Lille, France
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Saxena A, Shovestul BJ, Dudek EM, Reda S, Venkataraman A, Lamberti JS, Dodell-Feder D. Training volitional control of the theory of mind network with real-time fMRI neurofeedback. Neuroimage 2023; 279:120334. [PMID: 37591479 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Is there a way improve our ability to understand the minds of others? Towards addressing this question, here, we conducted a single-arm, proof-of-concept study to evaluate whether real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) from the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) leads to volitional control of the neural network subserving theory of mind (ToM; the process by which we attribute and reason about the mental states of others). As additional aims, we evaluated the strategies used to self-regulate the network and whether volitional control of the ToM network was moderated by participant characteristics and associated with improved performance on behavioral measures. Sixteen participants underwent fMRI while completing a task designed to individually-localize the TPJ, and then three separate rtfMRI-NF scans during which they completed multiple runs of a training task while receiving intermittent, activation-based feedback from the TPJ, and one run of a transfer task in which no neurofeedback was provided. Region-of-interest analyses demonstrated volitional control in most regions during the training tasks and during the transfer task, although the effects were smaller in magnitude and not observed in one of the neurofeedback targets for the transfer task. Text analysis demonstrated that volitional control was most strongly associated with thinking about prior social experiences when up-regulating the neural signal. Analysis of behavioral performance and brain-behavior associations largely did not reveal behavior changes except for a positive association between volitional control in RTPJ and changes in performance on one ToM task. Exploratory analysis suggested neurofeedback-related learning occurred, although some degree of volitional control appeared to be conferred with the initial self-regulation strategy provided to participants (i.e., without the neurofeedback signal). Critical study limitations include the lack of a control group and pre-rtfMRI transfer scan, which prevents a more direct assessment of neurofeedback-induced volitional control, and a small sample size, which may have led to an overestimate and/or unreliable estimate of study effects. Nonetheless, together, this study demonstrates the feasibility of training volitional control of a social cognitive brain network, which may have important clinical applications. Given the study's limitations, findings from this study should be replicated with more robust experimental designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Saxena
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 500 Wilson Blvd Rochester, NY 14627 USA
| | - Bridget J Shovestul
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 500 Wilson Blvd Rochester, NY 14627 USA
| | - Emily M Dudek
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 3695 Cullen Boulevard Houston, TX 77204 USA
| | - Stephanie Reda
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 500 Wilson Blvd Rochester, NY 14627 USA
| | - Arun Venkataraman
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - J Steven Lamberti
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA
| | - David Dodell-Feder
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 500 Wilson Blvd Rochester, NY 14627 USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642 USA.
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Zhang J, Raya J, Morfini F, Urban Z, Pagliaccio D, Yendiki A, Auerbach RP, Bauer CCC, Whitfield-Gabrieli S. Reducing default mode network connectivity with mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback: a pilot study among adolescents with affective disorder history. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2540-2548. [PMID: 36991135 PMCID: PMC10611577 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02032-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents experience alarmingly high rates of major depressive disorder (MDD), however, gold-standard treatments are only effective for ~50% of youth. Accordingly, there is a critical need to develop novel interventions, particularly ones that target neural mechanisms believed to potentiate depressive symptoms. Directly addressing this gap, we developed mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback (mbNF) for adolescents that aims to reduce default mode network (DMN) hyperconnectivity, which has been implicated in the onset and maintenance of MDD. In this proof-of-concept study, adolescents (n = 9) with a lifetime history of depression and/or anxiety were administered clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires, and each participant's DMN and central executive network (CEN) were personalized using a resting state fMRI localizer. After the localizer scan, adolescents completed a brief mindfulness training followed by a mbNF session in the scanner wherein they were instructed to volitionally reduce DMN relative to CEN activation by practicing mindfulness meditation. Several promising findings emerged. First, mbNF successfully engaged the target brain state during neurofeedback; participants spent more time in the target state with DMN activation lower than CEN activation. Second, in each of the nine adolescents, mbNF led to significantly reduced within-DMN connectivity, which correlated with post-mbNF increases in state mindfulness. Last, a reduction of within-DMN connectivity mediated the association between better mbNF performance and increased state mindfulness. These findings demonstrate that personalized mbNF can effectively and non-invasively modulate the intrinsic networks associated with the emergence and persistence of depressive symptoms during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Jovicarole Raya
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Francesca Morfini
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Zoi Urban
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Anastasia Yendiki
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Randy P Auerbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Division of Clinical Developmental Neuroscience, Sackler Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Clemens C C Bauer
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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From communication dysfunction to treatment options in serious mental illness. Psychiatry Res 2023; 321:115062. [PMID: 36746033 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The Commentary covers research focused on language dysfunction in schizophrenia, and more broadly in communication dysfunction in this disorder, which I have examined with a variety of both behavioral and imaging methodologies. It briefly outlines how further progress can be achieved in pursuing the goal of a comprehensive understanding of its underlying causes. Possible therapeutic approaches are also briefly discussed.
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Pindi P, Houenou J, Piguet C, Favre P. Real-time fMRI neurofeedback as a new treatment for psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 119:110605. [PMID: 35843369 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurofeedback using real-time functional MRI (RT-fMRI-NF) is an innovative technique that allows to voluntarily modulate a targeted brain response and its associated behavior. Despite promising results in the current literature, its effectiveness on symptoms management in psychiatric disorders is not yet clearly demonstrated. Here, we provide 1) a state-of-art qualitative review of RT-fMRI-NF studies aiming at alleviating clinical symptoms in a psychiatric population; 2) a quantitative evaluation (meta-analysis) of RT-fMRI-NF effectiveness on various psychiatric disorders and 3) methodological suggestions for future studies. Thirty-one clinical trials focusing on psychiatric disorders were included and categorized according to standard diagnostic categories. Among the 31 identified studies, 22 consisted of controlled trials, of which only eight showed significant clinical improvement in the experimental vs. control group after the training. Nine studies found an effect at follow-up on ADHD symptoms, emotion dysregulation, facial emotion processing, depressive symptoms, hallucinations, psychotic symptoms, and specific phobia. Within-group meta-analysis revealed large effects of the NF training on depressive symptoms right after the training (g = 0.81, p < 0.01) and at follow-up (g = 1.19, p < 0.01), as well as medium effects on anxiety (g = 0.44, p = 0.01) and emotion regulation (g = 0.48, p < 0.01). Between-group meta-analysis showed a medium effect on depressive symptoms (g = 0.49, p < 0.01) and a large effect on anxiety (g = 0.77, p = 0.01). However, the between-studies heterogeneity is very high. The use of RT-fMRI-NF as a treatment for psychiatric symptoms is promising, however, further double-blind, multicentric, randomized-controlled trials are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela Pindi
- Paris Est Créteil University (UPEC), INSERM U955, IMRB, Translational Neuro-psychiatry Team, AP-HP, DMU IMPACT, Mondor University Hospitals, FondaMental Foundation, F-94010 Créteil, France; Paris-Saclay University, Neurospin, CEA, UNIACT Lab, PsyBrain Team, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Josselin Houenou
- Paris Est Créteil University (UPEC), INSERM U955, IMRB, Translational Neuro-psychiatry Team, AP-HP, DMU IMPACT, Mondor University Hospitals, FondaMental Foundation, F-94010 Créteil, France; Paris-Saclay University, Neurospin, CEA, UNIACT Lab, PsyBrain Team, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Camille Piguet
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pauline Favre
- Paris Est Créteil University (UPEC), INSERM U955, IMRB, Translational Neuro-psychiatry Team, AP-HP, DMU IMPACT, Mondor University Hospitals, FondaMental Foundation, F-94010 Créteil, France; Paris-Saclay University, Neurospin, CEA, UNIACT Lab, PsyBrain Team, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Niznikiewicz MA, Brady RO, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Keshavan MS, Zhang T, Li H, Pasternak O, Shenton ME, Wang J, Stone WS. Dynamic intervention-based biomarkers may reduce heterogeneity and motivate targeted interventions in clinical high risk for psychosis. Schizophr Res 2022; 246:60-62. [PMID: 35709648 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M A Niznikiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, Brockton, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - R O Brady
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - M S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - T Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, SHARP Program, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - H Li
- Department of Psychology, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - O Pasternak
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - J Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, SHARP Program, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - W S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To provide recent evidence on real-time neurofeedback (NFB) training for auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in schizophrenia patients. RECENT FINDINGS NFB is a promising technique that allows patients to gain control over their AVH by modulating their own speech-related/language-related networks including superior temporal gyrus (STG) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) using fMRI, fNIRS and EEG/MEG. A recent limited number of studies showed that while an EEG-based NFB study failed to regulate auditory-evoked potentials and reduce AVH, downregulation of STG hyperactivity and upregulation of ACC activity with fMRI-based NFB appear to alleviate treatment-resistant AVH in schizophrenia patients. A deeper understanding of AVH and development of more effective methodologies are still needed. SUMMARY Despite recent innovations in antipsychotics, many schizophrenia patients continue to suffer from treatment-resistant AVH and social dysfunctions. Recent studies suggested that real-time NFB shows promise in enabling patients to gain control over AVH by regulating their own speech-related/language-related networks. Although fMRI-NFB is suitable for regulating localized activity, EEG/MEG-NFB are ideal for regulating the ever-changing AVH. Although there are still many challenges including logistic complexity and burden on patients, we hope that such innovative real-time NFB trainings will help patients to alleviate severe symptoms and improve social functioning.
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Zhao Z, Yao S, Zweerings J, Zhou X, Zhou F, Kendrick KM, Chen H, Mathiak K, Becker B. Putamen volume predicts real-time fMRI neurofeedback learning success across paradigms and neurofeedback target regions. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:1879-1887. [PMID: 33400306 PMCID: PMC7978128 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-time fMRI guided neurofeedback training has gained increasing interest as a noninvasive brain regulation technique with the potential to modulate functional brain alterations in therapeutic contexts. Individual variations in learning success and treatment response have been observed, yet the neural substrates underlying the learning of self-regulation remain unclear. Against this background, we explored potential brain structural predictors for learning success with pooled data from three real-time fMRI data sets. Our analysis revealed that gray matter volume of the right putamen could predict neurofeedback learning success across the three data sets (n = 66 in total). Importantly, the original studies employed different neurofeedback paradigms during which different brain regions were trained pointing to a general association with learning success independent of specific aspects of the experimental design. Given the role of the putamen in associative learning this finding may reflect an important role of instrumental learning processes and brain structural variations in associated brain regions for successful acquisition of fMRI neurofeedback-guided self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Zhao
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jana Zweerings
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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13
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Humpston C, Garrison J, Orlov N, Aleman A, Jardri R, Fernyhough C, Allen P. Real-Time Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neurofeedback for the Relief of Distressing Auditory-Verbal Hallucinations: Methodological and Empirical Advances. Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:1409-1417. [PMID: 32740661 PMCID: PMC7707074 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Auditory-verbal hallucinations (AVH) are often associated with high levels of distress and disability in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. In around 30% of individuals with distressing AVH and diagnosed with schizophrenia, traditional antipsychotic drugs have little or no effect. Thus, it is important to develop mechanistic models of AVH to inform new treatments. Recently a small number of studies have begun to explore the use of real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-NF) for the treatment of AVH in individuals with schizophrenia. rtfMRI-NF protocols have been developed to provide feedback about brain activation in real time to enable participants to progressively achieve voluntary control over their brain activity. We offer a conceptual review of the background and general features of neurofeedback procedures before summarizing and evaluating existing mechanistic models of AVH to identify feasible neural targets for the application of rtfMRI-NF as a potential treatment. We consider methodological issues, including the choice of localizers and practicalities in logistics when setting up neurofeedback procedures in a clinical setting. We discuss clinical considerations relating to the use of rtfMRI-NF for AVH in individuals distressed by their experiences and put forward a number of questions and recommendations about best practice. Lastly, we conclude by offering suggestions for new avenues for neurofeedback methodology and mechanistic targets in relation to the research and treatment of AVH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Humpston
- Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +44 (0)121 414 2942, fax: +44 (0)121 414 3971, e-mail:
| | - Jane Garrison
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Natasza Orlov
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA,Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,Precision Brain Imaging Lab, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - André Aleman
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, AB Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Renaud Jardri
- University of Lille, INSERM, CHU Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition Centre (U-1172), Plasticity and Subjectivity (PSY) Team, CURE Platform, Lille, France
| | | | - Paul Allen
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK,Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
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