Neurofeedback to Reduce Spontaneous Recovery of Threat Expectancy

NCT07122739 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 14852P50MH136296
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study tests the efficacy of a new behavioral intervention with the goal of reducing spontaneous recovery of threat expectancy in healthy adults. This real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback intervention delivers feedback based on a functional connection between the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus.

Conditions

Healthy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Spontaneous recovery behavior

  The investigators will assess neurofeedback related changes in behavioral threat expectancy ratings in a discriminatory Pavlovian conditioning task. Spontaneous recovery is taken as the difference in responding to the conditioned stimulus that was paired with an outcome (CS+) vs. the conditioned stimulus that was not paired with an outcome (CS-) during a test of extinction recall following acquisition and extinction learning.

  Baseline and fourth fMRI session (out of four total fMRI sessions). At most 60 days will elapse between the start of data collection for a participant and their final fMRI session.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Neurofeedback learning

  Second and third fMRI sessions (out of four total fMRI sessions). At most 60 days will elapse between the start of data collection for a participant and their final fMRI session.

Study Arms (2)

Active Neurofeedback

EXPERIMENTAL

Active neurofeedback will reinforce negative dlPFC-hippocampal functional connectivity, as this is expected to increase memory control ability.

Behavioral: Active Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback

Control Neurofeedback

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants in the control neurofeedback group will receive the same instructions as the experimental group, but will receive sham neurofeedback.

Behavioral: Sham Real-time fMRI neurofeedback

Interventions

Sham Real-time fMRI neurofeedback BEHAVIORAL

Sham neurofeedback

Control Neurofeedback

Active Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback BEHAVIORAL

Active neurofeedback to target a functional connection associated with increased memory control ability

Active Neurofeedback

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged 18-50
• No history of psychiatric disorders or neurological disorders affecting the central nervous system.
• Are not currently taking psychoactive medication or drugs of abuse.
• Must be eligible to enter an MRI (i.e., no permanent metal or medical implants)
• Normal color vision
• Right-handed
• Full reading and writing English comprehension
• Must exhibit spontaneous recovery behavior as determined by an experimenter in a prescreening experimental session
• Must be able to provide informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnancy (female participants)
• Outside of age range
• History of psychiatric or neurological disease
• Currently taking psychoactive medication or drugs of abuse
• Color blindness
• Primary left-handedness
• Less than full reading and writing English comprehension
• Do not exhibit spontaneous recovery behavior as determined by an experimenter in a prescreening experimental session
• Refusing to provide informed consent

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Trustees of Princeton University: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Princeton Neuroscience Institute

Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, United States

RECRUITING

Study Officials

• Kenneth A. Norman, Ph.D.

  Princeton University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Augustin C. Hennings, Ph.D.

CONTACT

609-258-5032; gus.hennings@princeton.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants are always blind to condition assignment. Because of the way that participants are assigned to the active vs. sham neurofeedback conditions, the investigator who is collecting the data will be aware of condition assignment for a small number of participants at the start and end of the study, but otherwise the investigator who is collecting the data will not be aware of condition assignment until after the participant has been run.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 1, 2025
• First Posted: August 14, 2025
• Study Start: July 17, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2028
• Last Updated: February 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)