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Real-time fMRI neurofeedback boosts heartbeat perception by modulating insula activation pattern during interoceptive
Yusuke Haruki1,2,3,4, Yuxiang Yang1,5,6, Keisuke Suzuki3
1Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities and Human Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Imaging Neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
|September 12, 2025
Summary
Real-time fMRI neurofeedback improved heartbeat perception by training insula activity. However, a single session did not alter emotional responses, suggesting insula targeting alone is insufficient for affective processing changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Real-time fMRI neurofeedback (NF) offers a way to voluntarily control brain activity.
- The insula plays a key role in interoception and emotional processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if NF targeting the right insula enhances heartbeat perception and emotional responses.
- To explore the link between insula neuromodulation and behavioral changes.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-four participants received either real-time fMRI neurofeedback or sham feedback targeting the right insula.
- Heartbeat perception and emotional appraisal were assessed before and after the ~40-minute NF session.
Main Results:
- The NF group showed significant improvements in heartbeat perception.
- Individual learning in neuromodulation predicted behavioral gains, but group scores varied.
- No significant changes in emotional responses were observed at the behavioral or neural level.
Conclusions:
- fMRI neurofeedback can enhance heartbeat perception via insular cortex neuromodulation.
- A single NF session targeting the insula may not be sufficient to alter emotional processing.
