Tuning pathological brain oscillations with neurofeedback: a systems neuroscience framework.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Dynamical Systems Theory
• Control Theory

Background:

• Neurofeedback (NFB) shows clinical promise for self-regulating brain activity.
• Existing explanations for NFB's efficacy lack a solid theoretical neurophysiological basis.
• Traditional behaviorist models treat the brain as a 'black box', limiting mechanistic understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a contemporary theoretical framework for the mechanistic effects of NFB.
• To provide a neurophysiological account of NFB, moving beyond descriptive interpretations.
• To integrate concepts from neurobiology, engineering, and dynamical systems.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized evidence from neural synchronization, top-down regulation, and brain plasticity.
• Applied dynamical systems and control-theoretic principles to NFB mechanisms.
• Examined NFB's effects in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Main Results:

• Pathological brain oscillations are linked to abnormal attractor landscape formation.
• NFB is proposed to tune brain oscillations towards a homeostatic set-point.
• This tuning optimizes the balance between network flexibility and stability (self-organized criticality).

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a neurophysiological explanation for NFB's efficacy.
• NFB facilitates self-regulation by modulating brain network dynamics towards optimal states.
• This approach advances understanding of NFB for conditions like ADHD and PTSD.