title: Covert neurofeedback without awareness shapes cortical network spontaneous connectivity.
abstract: Recent advances in blood oxygen level-dependent-functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI)-based neurofeedback reveal that participants can modulate neuronal properties. However, it is unknown whether such training effects can be introduced in the absence of participants' awareness that they are being trained. Here, we show unconscious neurofeedback training, which consequently produced changes in functional connectivity, introduced in participants who received positive and negative rewards that were covertly coupled to activity in two category-selective visual cortex regions. The results indicate that brain networks can be modified even in the complete absence of intention and awareness of the learning situation, raising intriguing possibilities for clinical interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel; michal.ramot@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9716-6469
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramot
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
authors.forename: Shany
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.affiliation: Sammy Ofer School of Communication, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzlia 4610101, Israel.
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D058765:Neurofeedback; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: functional connectivity; neurofeedback; reward; spontaneous activity; training