Emotion Regulation Using Virtual Environments and Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Brain-Computer Interfaces

Background:

• Neurofeedback (NFB) offers potential for regulating brain activity to improve emotional and cognitive functions.
• The application of NFB for complex emotions with ecological validity remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a technical proof of concept for a novel real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) NFB procedure.
• To enable participants to voluntarily modulate neural activity associated with complex emotions using a multimodal virtual reality (VR)/NFB approach.

Main Methods:

• Developed and adapted rtfMRI-NFB software (FRIEND Engine) integrating a VR environment as a brain-computer interface (BCI).
• Utilized musical excerpts to induce tenderness and anguish, with personalized strategies to intensify emotions.
• Employed both region of interest (ROI) and support vector machine (SVM) classification methods for NFB delivery across two experimental sites.

Main Results:

• The multimodal VR/NFB approach was technically feasible and robust for real-time measurement and modulation of complex emotional states.
• Participants successfully enhanced activity in the septo-hypothalamic area and amygdala (ROI-based) and evoked distinct neural patterns for tenderness and anguish (SVM-based).
• Offline fMRI confirmed recruitment of emotion-specific brain regions, consistent with self-reported emotion intensity and robust at the individual level.

Conclusions:

• The developed multimodal VR/rtfMRI-NFB protocol is an engaging tool for brain-based interventions to enhance emotional states.
• This technique shows potential applications in clinical conditions involving anxiety, stress, and impaired empathy.