Electrical fingerprint of the amygdala guides neurofeedback training for stress resilience

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/ Keynan JN, Cohen A, Jackont G, Green N, Goldway N, Davidov A, Meir-Hasson Y, Raz G, Intrator N, Fruchter E, Ginat K, Laska E, Cavazza M, Hendler T.
Nat Hum Behav. 2019 Jan;3(1):63-73.

 

Demonstrating the effects of amygdala-EFP neurofeedback on emotional resilience and amygdala self-regulation during ongoing intensive and stressful military training.

This study tested the ability of amygdala-EFP neurofeedback training to improve emotional resilience under stressful ongoing life conditions. In a double-blind experiment, 180 healthy individuals undergoing a stressful military training program were randomly assigned to either test or control conditions. During a 4-week long experimental scheme, test participants trained on amygdala-EFP neurofeedback, whereas control participants either trained on alpha/theta neurofeedback or no neurofeedback. 

Emotional resilience, as measured via a psychological questionnaire of alexithymia and by a behavioral emotional-regulation test, improved after amygdala-EFP neurofeedback, but not after alpha/theta neurofeedback, and was worsened in participants who did not receive any form of feedback. Furthermore, in an fMRI scan performed after training, only participants who were trained with amygdala-EFP neurofeedback were able to down-regulate their amygdala activity. As compared with no neurofeedback, amygdala-EFP neurofeedback also resulted in higher co-activation of the amygdala together with another brain region involved in emotional regulation: the ventro-medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). These results demonstrate the beneficial effects of amygdala-EFP neurofeedback on emotional resilience during stress exposure.

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To read the full article on NeuroImage: Clinical - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0484-3