Low-resolution electromagnetic tomography neurofeedback

Abstract

Abstract-Through continuous feedback of the electroencephalogram (EEG) humans can learn how to shape their brain electrical activity in a desired direction. The technique is known as EEG biofeedback, or neurofeedback, and has been used since the late 1960s in research and clinical applications. A major limitation of neurofeedback relates to the limited information provided by a single or small number of electrodes placed on the scalp. We establish a method for extracting and feeding back intracranial current density and we carry out an experimental study to ascertain the ability of the participants to drive their own EEG power in a desired direction. To derive current density within the brain volume, we used the low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA).Six undergraduate students (three males, three females) underwent tomographic neurofeedback (based on 19 electrodes placed according to the 10-20 system) to enhance the current density power ratio between the frequency bands (16-20 Hz) and (8-10 Hz). According to LORETA modeling, the region of interest corresponded to the Anterior Cingulate (cognitive division). The protocol was designed to improve the performance of the subjects on the dimension of sustained attention. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) that the current density power ratio increased over sessions and 2) that by the end of the training subjects acquired the ability of increasing that ratio at will. Both hypotheses received substantial experimental support in this study. This is the first application of an EEG inverse solution to neurofeedback. Possible applications of the technique include the treatment of epileptic foci, the rehabilitation of specific brain regions damaged as a consequence of traumatic brain injury and, in general, the training of any spatial specific cortical electrical activity. These findings may also have relevant consequences for the development of brain-computer interfaces.Index Terms-Brain-computer interfaces (BCI), electroencephalogram (EEG) biofeedback, electromagnetic tomography, inverse solution, low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA), neurofeedback, -value combination.

EEG Biofeedback as a Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Review, Rating of Efficacy and Recommendations for Further Research

“…Second, they want to utilize this information to develop an integrative treatment model for addictive disorders based on this research, involving novel group-processing methods and spatial specific neurophysiological operant learning (LORETA Neurofeedback; Cannon et al, 2007;Cannon, Lubar, Gerke, & Thornton, 2006;Congedo, 2003;Congedo, Lubar, & Joffe, 2004), and finally, they want to utilize both the assessment and neurophysiological data for development of statistical models for possible diagnostic and predictive purposes and to provide a means for a neurophysiological measure of treatment efficacy.…”

Decision-making in moral conflict: A brain electrical tomography analysis

“…Tomography (sLORETA) [16,17] is a functional imaging method based on electrophysiological and neuroanatomical constraints [18]. For example, the cortex can be modeled as a collection of volume elements (voxels) in the digitized Talairach atlas provided by the Brain Imaging Center (Montreal Neurological Institute).…”

EEG Spectral Power and Coherence: Differentiating Effects of Spatial–Specific Neuro-Operant Learning (SSNOL) Utilizing LORETA Neurofeedback Training in the Anterior Cingulate and Bilateral Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortices

“…Following standard protocol (Cannon et al, 2007;Congedo et al, 2004), we designed to improve attentional processes by training individuals to increase 14 to 18 Hz (low-beta) power activity in one of three ROTs: a three-voxel cluster of neurons in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and a five voxel cluster of neurons in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (see Table 1) and compared them to a seven-voxel cluster of neurons in the cognitive division of the AC (Bush & Posner, 2000;Cannon et al, 2007;Devinsky et al, 1995). In a preliminary session, the participants were instructed to control tongue and eye movements; eye-blinks; and muscle activity from forehead, neck, and jaws.…”

“…A recent fMRI study reports neurofeedback techniques initiating blood oxygenated level dependent changes in the AC, caudate and substantia nigra in children 26 JOURNAL OF NEUROTHERAPY with ADHD (Levesque, Beauregard, & Mensour, 2006). LNFB is a recent advancement in the neurofeedback method (Congedo, 2003;Congedo, Lubar, & Joffe, 2004), offering the possibility to influence regions deep in the medial temporal lobes, limbic regions, and regions at the base of the brain, such as the insular cortex, parahippocampal, lingual, fusiform, and orbital-frontal gyri, to which the contribution to surface EEG is poor. LORETA (Pascual-Marqui, 1995, 1999Pascual-Marqui, Esslen, Kochi, & Lehmann, 2002a, 2002bPascual-Marqui, Michel, & Lehmann, 1994) is an inverse solution estimating cortical electric current density originating from scalp measurements, utilizing realistic electrode coordinates (Towle et al, 1993) for a three-concentric-shell spherical head model co-registered on a standardized MRI atlas (Talairach & Tournoux, 1988) allowing a reasonable approximation of anatomical labeling within the neo-cortical volume, including the ACC and hippocampus (Lancaster et al, 1997;Lancaster et al, 2000).…”