RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Targeting default mode network connectivity with mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback: A pilot study among adolescents with affective disorder history
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.08.22.504796
DO 10.1101/2022.08.22.504796
A1 Jiahe Zhang
A1 Jovicarole Raya
A1 Francesca Morfini
A1 Zoi Urban
A1 David Pagliaccio
A1 Anastasia Yendiki
A1 Randy P. Auerbach
A1 Clemens C.C. Bauer
A1 Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/08/25/2022.08.22.504796.abstract
AB Adolescents experience alarmingly high rates of major depressive disorder (MDD), however, gold-standard treatments are only effective for ~50% of youth. Accordingly, there is a critical need to develop novel interventions, particularly ones that target neural mechanisms believed to potentiate depressive symptoms. Directly addressing this gap, we developed a mindfulness-based fMRI neurofeedback (mbNF) for adolescents that targets default mode network (DMN) hyperconnectivity, which has been implicated in the onset and maintenance of MDD. In this proof-of-concept study, adolescents (n = 9) with a lifetime history of depression and/or anxiety were administered clinical interviews and self-report questionnaires, and then, each participant’s DMN and central executive network (CEN) were personalized using a resting state fMRI localizer. After the localizer scan, adolescents completed a brief mindfulness training followed by a mbNF session in the scanner wherein they were instructed to volitionally reduce DMN relative to CEN activation by practicing mindfulness meditation. Several promising findings emerged. First, mbNF successfully engaged the target brain state during neurofeedback; participants spent more time in the target state with DMN activation lower than CEN activation. Second, in each of the nine adolescents, mbNF led to significantly reduced within-DMN connectivity, which correlated with post-mbNF increases in state mindfulness. Last, a reduction of within-DMN connectivity mediated the association between better mbNF performance and increased state mindfulness. These findings demonstrate that personalized mbNF can effectively and non-invasively modulate the intrinsic networks known to be associated with the emergence and persistence of depressive symptoms during adolescence.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.