Neurofeedback-dependent influence of the ventral striatum using a working memory paradigm targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Daniela Jardim Pereira; Alexandre Sayal; João Pereira; Sofia Morais; António Macedo; Bruno Direito; Miguel Castelo-Branco

doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1014223

Neurofeedback-dependent influence of the ventral striatum using a working memory paradigm targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Front Behav Neurosci. 2023 Feb 9:17:1014223. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1014223. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Daniela Jardim Pereira^{1

2

3}, Alexandre Sayal^{2

4

5}, João Pereira^{2

4}, Sofia Morais^{3

4

6}, António Macedo^{3

6}, Bruno Direito^{2

4

7}, Miguel Castelo-Branco^{2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Neurorradiology Functional Area, Imaging Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, Coimbra, Portugal.
² Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
³ Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁴ Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁵ Siemens Healthineers Portugal, Lisboa, Portugal.
⁶ Psychiatry Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, Coimbra, Portugal.
⁷ IATV-Instituto do Ambiente, Tecnologia e Vida (IATV), Coimbra, Portugal.

Abstract

Executive functions and motivation have been established as key aspects for neurofeedback success. However, task-specific influence of cognitive strategies is scarcely explored. In this study, we test the ability to modulate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a strong candidate for clinical application of neurofeedback in several disorders with dysexecutive syndrome, and investigate how feedback contributes to better performance in a single session. Participants of both neurofeedback (n = 17) and sham-control (n = 10) groups were able to modulate DLPFC in most runs (with or without feedback) while performing a working memory imagery task. However, activity in the target area was higher and more sustained in the active group when receiving feedback. Furthermore, we found increased activity in the nucleus accumbens in the active group, compared with a predominantly negative response along the block in participants receiving sham feedback. Moreover, they acknowledged the non-contingency between imagery and feedback, reflecting the impact on motivation. This study reinforces DLPFC as a robust target for neurofeedback clinical implementations and enhances the critical influence of the ventral striatum, both poised to achieve success in the self-regulation of brain activity.

Keywords: DLPFC; motivation; neurofeedback; ventral striatum; working memory.

Grants and funding

We would like to acknowledge the support from the BRAINTRAIN grant, a Collaborative Project supported by the European Commission, under the Health Cooperation Work Programme of the 7th Framework Programme, under the Grant Agreement No. 602186 (http://braintrainproject.eu) and Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)—FCT/UIDB/4950 and FCT/UIDP/4950. DP would like to acknowledge the support from the Fundação para Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (grant SFRH/SINTD/93678/2013).