加拿大科學(xué)家一項新研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，通過觀看功能磁共振成像（FMRI）反饋的實(shí)時大腦活動信息,，人們可以更好地訓(xùn)練自己的大腦,。
FMRI是研究腦功能的一種非常有效的非介入技術(shù),。使用這種技術(shù),，人們可以對大腦活動區(qū)域進(jìn)行準(zhǔn)確、可靠的定位,。
在加拿大不列顛哥倫比亞大學(xué)的一項研究中,，科學(xué)家向研究對象布置對大腦要求完全不同的任務(wù)，并允許他們觀看自己執(zhí)行這些任務(wù)時的大腦活動圖像,。然后,，研究對象可以根據(jù)看到的大腦活動情況，主觀上調(diào)控自己的思維,。結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn),，根據(jù)大腦活動圖像調(diào)控思維的效果明顯，研究對象完成科學(xué)家布置的腦力任務(wù)的能力得到提高,。
科學(xué)家把有關(guān)研究成果發(fā)表在4月號的國際著名科學(xué)雜志《神經(jīng)影像學(xué)》上,。
論文作者之一、加拿大不列顛哥倫比亞大學(xué)教授卡利娜·克里斯托弗說,，運(yùn)動員在教練的指導(dǎo)下訓(xùn)練能夠受益,。與此類似，大腦的實(shí)時反饋圖像能夠幫助人們更加注意自己的思維內(nèi)容和方式,。“這項發(fā)現(xiàn)說明,，當(dāng)知道自己大腦相應(yīng)區(qū)域的活動時，我們控制思維的能力會得到提高,。”
加拿大科學(xué)家認(rèn)為,，這項研究給治療抑郁癥,、焦慮癥和強(qiáng)迫癥帶來了新思路。這些患者的頭腦中常常產(chǎn)生負(fù)面情緒,，但他們往往并不自知,。使用FMRI配合認(rèn)知行為療法，讓這些患者意識到自己的負(fù)面情緒,，應(yīng)該可以幫助他們緩解病情,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
NeuroImage doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.12.016
Improved modulation of rostrolateral prefrontal cortex using real-time fMRI training and meta-cognitive awareness
R. Graeme McCaiga, Matt Dixona, Kamyar Keramatianb, Irene Liua and Kalina Christoffa, b,
Abstract
Recent real-time fMRI (rt-fMRI) training studies have demonstrated that subjects can achieve improved control over localized brain regions by using real-time feedback about the level of fMRI signal in these regions. It has remained unknown, however, whether subjects can gain control over anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC) regions that support some of the most complex forms of human thought. In this study, we used rt-fMRI training to examine whether subjects can learn to regulate the rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC), or the lateral part of the anterior PFC, by using a meta-cognitive awareness strategy. We show that individuals can achieve improved regulation over the level of fMRI signal in their RLPFC by turning attention towards or away from their own thoughts. The ability to achieve improved modulation was contingent on observing veridical real-time feedback about the level of RLPFC activity during training; a sham-feedback control group demonstrated no improvement in modulation ability and neither did control subjects who received no rt-fMRI feedback but underwent otherwise identical training. Prior to training, meta-cognitive awareness was associated with recruitment of anterior PFC subregions, including both RLPFC and medial PFC, as well as a number of other midline and posterior cortical regions. Following training, however, regulation improvement was specific to RLPFC and was not observed in other frontal, midline, or parietal cortical regions. These results demonstrate the feasibility of acquiring control over high-level prefrontal regions through rt-fMRI training and offer a novel view into the correspondence between observable neuroscientific measures and highly subjective mental states.
Research Highlights
Used real-time fMRI to assess the possibility of improving control over activation levels in RLPFC.
Individuals learned to regulate RLPFC activation and real-time fMRI feedback is necessary.
Subjects learned to regulate RLPFC activation using a meta-cognitive awareness strategy.
Metacognitive awareness in the absence of rt-feedback activated medial and lateral BA 10.
Improved regulation ability was not observed in any frontal lobe region outside of RLPFC.
Keywords: Anterior prefrontal cortex; Meta-cognitive awareness; Thinking; Self-regulation; Introspection; Executive functions
