Real-time Neurofeedback Training of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Based on Imagined Social Support

NCT07364084 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: BAM_lab_NF_06
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Randomized active-sham controlled between-subject real-time fMRI neurofeedback trial aiming to modulate activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to improve subjective negative anticipation.

Conditions

Healthy; Neurofeedback

Keywords

real-time neurofeedback; social support; mPFC

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Neural activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) based on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal

  Training-induced changes in mPFC activity will be assessed by analyzing BOLD-level activation of the mPFC

  1 hour

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Training-related changes in anticipated anxiety

  1 hour

Study Arms (2)

Neurofeedback training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the neurofeedback training group are instructed to regulate their medial prefrontal cortex activity based on the visual intermittent neurofeedback.

Procedure: real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure

Sham control

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants in the sham control group receive the same instruction and perform the same regulation strategy based on neurofeedback from an unrelated region (i.e. primary motor cortex) which is not involved in episodic imagination in related to social support (a controlled sham region).

Procedure: real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure

Interventions

real-time fMRI sham-controlled neurofeedback training procedure PROCEDURE

real-time fMRI neurofeedback training procedure running on the Turbo Brain voyager (TBV) 4.2 software (Brain Innovation, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

Neurofeedback training; Sham control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders

You may not qualify if:

• History of brain injury
• Psychiatric or Neurological Disorder
• Contraindications for MRI
• Regular use of psychotropic substances (medication, drugs)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Electronic Science and Technology of China: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China(UESTC), Chengdu, Sichuan 611731

Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Benjamin Becker, Dr

CONTACT

86-28-61830670; ben_becker@gmx.de

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2026
• First Posted: January 23, 2026
• Study Start: January 16, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 10, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Last Updated: January 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)