What predicts visual cortex neurofeedback success ? Investigating neural and behavioral predictors influencing visual cortex fmri-based neurofeedback outcome

Diplôme Master What predicts visual cortex neurofeedback success ? Investigating neural and behavioral predictors influencing visual cortex fmri-based neurofeedback outcome eng 2025-09-02 author De Souza Cardoso Lorrane 922701 director Galli Riccardo Mattia 983731 Département de neurosciences fondamentales (NEUFO) director Vuilleumier Patrik 0000-0002-8198-9214 134853 Département de neurosciences fondamentales (NEUFO) 74 Neurofeedback (NF) is a technique that enables individuals to learn self-regulation of brain activity in real-time. Promising findings indicate that NF can help healthy and clinical populations, yet a substantial proportion of participants fail to achieve self-modulation (“non-learners”). This study investigates potential neural and behavioral biomarkers underlying NF learning success using a dataset from a fMRI-based NF protocol targeting interhemispheric balance in the visual cortex for visual attention improvement. Participants were classified as learners or non-learners based on learning slopes across neurofeedback sessions. We investigated neural and behavioral differences between learners and non-learners using baseline assessments to identify potential biomarkers. Our analysis included voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to examine grey matter (GM) volume differences and seed-based resting-state functional connectivity (FC) analyses. Behavioral measures of attention and motivation were obtained from self-report questionnaires (QCM, CFQ). Post-training FC changes were also assessed. Contrary to our hypotheses, attentional and motivational scores did not differ significantly between learners and non-learners. On the other hand, VBM revealed that learners exhibited greater GM volume in the left middle cingulate cortex compared to non-learners, a region implicated in cognitive control and error monitoring. Baseline FC analyses indicated that learners exhibited stronger connectivity than non-learners, particularly within the seeds involving the salience network (SN), visual areas, frontal-parietal areas, and the default mode network (DMN), with the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) emerging as a key hub. At the same time, learners showed increased connectivity thanks to the neurofeedback training involving occipital/insular and PCC seeds, suggesting NF-induced plasticity. These findings provide preliminary evidence that structural and functional brain characteristics, particularly concerning the cingulate GM volume and DMN connectivity, may contribute to NF learning success. Furthermore, NF may induce plasticity effects, particularly in reorganizing FC. Neurofeedback FMRI VBM Functional Connectivity Visual Attention PCC Dewey 128.37 Dewey 616.8 Master in Neurosciences 16 Centre interfacultaire de neurosciences 0D9 15 Centre interfacultaire en sciences affectives 0D8 53 Département de neurosciences fondamentales 21A 61 Département des neurosciences cliniques 226 false 1241 Affective sciences 428 Mécanismes cérébraux du comportement et des fonctions cognitives 701 55ffbd22-a9b5-481b-9af3-2a45b7a3f753 Master thesis Restricted Master's_Thesis_-_Lorrane_Cardoso_.pdf 3402825 application/pdf 0da17fea6a633224da4febf561a4292c40b9e967e100ce95945da7ddf3ac7fed restrictedAccess Centres et instituts / Centre interfacultaire de neurosciences Centres et instituts / Centre interfacultaire en sciences affectives Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine fondamentale / Département de neurosciences fondamentales Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département des neurosciences cliniques

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What predicts visual cortex neurofeedback success ? Investigating neural and behavioral predictors influencing visual cortex fmri-based neurofeedback outcome				2025	20	2

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De Souza Cardoso, Lorrane

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