Decoded EEG neurofeedback-guided cognitive reappraisal training for emotion regulation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Traditional neurofeedback for emotion regulation often uses fMRI, limiting clinical use.
• Existing methods primarily focus on reducing negative emotions, neglecting positive emotion enhancement.
• A cost-effective, non-invasive alternative for emotion regulation training is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel electroencephalogram (EEG) neurofeedback-guided cognitive reappraisal protocol for emotion regulation.
• To assess the protocol's efficacy in regulating emotions evoked by stimuli of varying valence.
• To explore the neural mechanisms underlying the training effects.

Main Methods:

• Developed a decoded EEG neurofeedback protocol combined with cognitive reappraisal.
• Recruited 42 healthy subjects, randomly assigned to neurofeedback or control groups.
• Trained individual EEG-based emotion decoding models and provided real-time feedback.

Main Results:

• The EEG neurofeedback protocol significantly improved emotion regulation for low positive valence stimuli.
• Wavelet energy and differential entropy in high-frequency bands were key for emotion classification.
• These neural features correlated with plasticity changes from emotion regulation.

Conclusions:

• The decoded EEG neurofeedback protocol is effective for enhancing emotion regulation, particularly for positive stimuli.
• The findings provide insights into the neural plasticity mechanisms of emotion regulation.
• This novel protocol offers a potentially valuable, non-invasive treatment for emotion-related disorders.