Learned regulation of brain metabolism

Self-regulation and voluntary control of circumscribed brain regions using real-time functional MRI (rt-fMRI) allows the establishment of a causal functional link between localized brain activity and behavior and cognition. A long tradition of research has clearly shown the brain's ability to learn volitional control of its own activity and effects on behavior. Yet, the underlying neural mechanism of self-regulation is still not fully understood. Here, we propose that self-regulation of brain activity is akin to skill learning and thus may depend on an intact subcortical motor system. We elaborate on the critical role of the basal ganglia in skill learning and neurofeedback, and clarify that brain-self-regulation need not be an explicit and conscious process as often mistakenly held.