title: Social reward improves the voluntary control over localized brain activity in fMRI-based neurofeedback training.
abstract: Neurofeedback (NF) based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) allows voluntary regulation of the activity in a selected brain region. For the training of this regulation, a well-designed feedback system is required. Social reward may serve as an effective incentive in NF paradigms, but its efficiency has not yet been tested. Therefore, we developed a social reward NF paradigm and assessed it in comparison with a typical visual NF paradigm (moving bar). We trained twenty-four healthy participants, on three consecutive days, to control activation in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with fMRI-based NF. In the social feedback group, an avatar gradually smiled when ACC activity increased, whereas in the standard feedback group, a moving bar indicated the activation level. In order to assess a transfer of the NF training both groups were asked to up-regulate their brain activity without receiving feedback immediately before and after the NF training (pre- and post-test). Finally, the effect of the acquired NF training on ACC function was evaluated in a cognitive interference task (Simon task) during the pre- and post-test. Social reward led to stronger activity in the ACC and reward-related areas during the NF training when compared to standard feedback. After the training, both groups were able to regulate ACC without receiving feedback, with a trend for stronger responses in the social feedback group. Moreover, despite a lack of behavioral differences, significant higher ACC activations emerged in the cognitive interference task, reflecting a stronger generalization of the NF training on cognitive interference processing after social feedback. Social reward can increase self-regulation in fMRI-based NF and strengthen its effects on neural processing in related tasks, such as cognitive interference. A particular advantage of social feedback is that a direct external reward is provided as in natural social interactions, opening perspectives for implicit learning paradigms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany ; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Krystyna A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mathiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eliza M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Alawi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany ; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland ; Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Yury
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koush
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dyck
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cordes
authors.affiliation: Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany ; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tilman J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gaber
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia (M561) Perth, WA, Australia ; Specialised Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Department of Health in Western Australia Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Florian D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Zepf
authors.affiliation: Research Centre Jülich, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1) Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Palomero-Gallagher
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Pegah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarkheil
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Mikhail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zvyagintsev
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Behavioral Psychobiology, RWTH Aachen University Aachen, Germany ; Translational Brain Medicine, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Jülich, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mathiak
keywords: Simon task; avatar; cognitive interference; neurofeedback; real-time fMRI; reward; smile; social communication