Individual Differences in Cognitive Control Predict Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback Performance

Overview

The goal of this study is to investgate whether individual differences of cognitive control capacity could predict neurofeedback performance and the behavioral effects resulting from successful anterior insula regulation via interoceptive strategy.

Detailed description

The experimental protocol comprises two visits with a 3-7 days interval. The first visit includes: (1) completion of standardized psychological questionnaires, (2) pre-test of the heartbeat counting task (HCT), and (3) four validated cognitive control tasks, including the Go/No-Go task, Stroop task, Task-switching task, N-back task. The main task of the second visit is a fMRI task followed by a post-test of the HCT. The MRI scanning protocol includes anatomical scan, two resting-state scans (pre- and post-training), four runs of fMRI neurofeedback training and a transfer run without feedback. During the regulation block of the training task, participants are asked to upregulate the anterior insula activity followed by a pain empathy rating and strategy efficacy rating. All participants receive real-time neurofeedback from the left anterior insula. Scores of questionnaires including Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Beck Depression Inventory-Ⅱ, Autism Spectrum Quotient, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Toronto Alexithymia scale, Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire, Interoceptive Confusion Questionnaire, Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory are also collected before the experiment.

Interventions

• Other Real-time fMRI neurofeedback training
  Real-time neurofeedback information is computed using the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.0 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands). Functional images are collected and processed in real time based on contrasts of regulation vs. rest conditions. The BOLD signal of the target region is then transformed into visual bars and displayed to participants via the projector screen while participants keep using regulation strategy (heartbeat interoception in our study) to upregulate the targe

Primary outcome measures

• BOLD signal of the anterior insula during neurofeedback training [Time frame: 1 hour]
• Behavioral measurements in the cognitive control tasks [Time frame: 1 hour]

Secondary outcome measures (4)

• Pain empathy ratings scores [Time frame: 1 hour]
• Strategy efficacy rating scores [Time frame: 1 hour]
• Intero-ceptive accuracy [Time frame: 15 minutes]
• Confidence rating scores of interoceptive sensitivity [Time frame: 15 minutes]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

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

Exclusion criteria

• History of brain injury Medical or mental illness and color blindness or weakness.
• The presence of metal in the body or claustrophobia.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Basic science

Study locations

China · 1 center

• University of Electronic Science and Technology of China — Chengdu

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07211269 · UESTC-neuSCAN-95

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗