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Neurofeedback Tunes Scale-Free Dynamics in Spontaneous Brain Activity
T Ros1, P Frewen2, J Théberge3
1Geneva Neuroscience Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Geneva, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|September 14, 2016
Summary
Neurofeedback training increased long-range temporal correlations (LRTCs) in brain oscillations, suggesting the brain can self-tune its temporal complexity. This method normalized abnormal brain dynamics in healthy adults and PTSD patients, improving hyperarousal.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Computational Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Brain oscillations display long-range temporal correlations (LRTCs), reflecting dynamics near criticality.
- Altered LRTCs are linked to neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if closed-loop neurofeedback (NFB) can modulate brain oscillation LRTCs.
- To examine the impact of NFB on spontaneous cortical activity and its potential clinical applications.
Main Methods:
- Healthy adults and patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) underwent NFB to reduce alpha oscillation amplitude.
- Spontaneous LRTCs were measured before and after NFB training.
Main Results:
- NFB training significantly increased LRTCs in healthy adults.
- In PTSD patients, NFB reversed abnormally random dynamics, correlating with reduced hyperarousal.
- Regions with low LRTCs normalized toward healthy levels, supporting self-organized criticality.
- An inverse-U relationship was found between LRTC strength and oscillation amplitude.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous brain activity retains a capacity for self-tuning temporal complexity, even in psychiatric disorders.
- NFB shows potential as a therapeutic tool for conditions characterized by perturbed LRTCs.
- Findings provide a framework for NFB research and clinical applications in disorders with altered brain dynamics.
