The Impact of Visual Feedback Design on Self-Regulation Performance and Learning in a Single-Session rt-fMRI...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Real-time fMRI neurofeedback (NFB) efficacy hinges on feedback presentation and participant perception.
• Limited evidence exists on how different feedback modalities impact learning and performance in NFB.
• This study investigated feedback modality effects and technical feasibility of NFB across different magnetic field strengths.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of continuous signal-proportional feedback (cFB) versus affect-based categorical feedback (aFB) in a motor NFB task.
• To evaluate the technical performance of NFB systems at 3T and 7T scanner field strengths.
• To assess learning effects and self-regulation capabilities with different feedback modalities and a no-feedback condition.

Main Methods:

• Nine healthy adults underwent a single-session motor NFB study, adapting primary sensorimotor cortex (SMC) activation.
• Participants received either continuous feedback (thermometer-style bar) or affect-based feedback (smiling face).
• A no-feedback condition probed internal regulation; technical feasibility was assessed at 3T (n=6) and 7T (n=3).

Main Results:

• Overall successful regulation rates (44.4%) did not significantly differ between feedback modalities or field strengths.
• Continuous feedback (cFB) demonstrated significant within-session learning ( +14.8 pp; p=0.031), unlike affect-based (aFB) or no-feedback (noFB) conditions.
• Real-time pipeline performance was robust, with average end-to-end latency around 795 ms, showing rare outliers at 7T.

Conclusions:

• Continuous signal-proportional feedback facilitates rapid within-session motor learning in rt-fMRI NFB.
• Affect-based feedback did not show comparable learning benefits in this single-session study.
• Stable, low-latency NFB operation is feasible at both 3T and 7T, warranting larger studies on modality-specific learning.