title: Positive effects of neurofeedback on autism symptoms correlate with brain activation during imitation and observation.
abstract: Autism has been characterized by atypical task-related brain activation and functional connections, coinciding with deficits in sociocommunicative abilities. However, evidence of the brain's experience-dependent plasticity suggests that abnormal activity patterns may be reversed with treatment. In particular, neurofeedback training (NFT), an intervention based on operant conditioning resulting in self-regulation of brain electrical oscillations, has shown increasing promise in addressing abnormalities in brain function and behavior. We examined the effects of ≥ 20 h of sensorimotor mu-rhythm-based NFT in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a matched control group of typically developing children (ages 8-17). During a functional magnetic resonance imaging imitation and observation task, the ASD group showed increased activation in regions of the human mirror neuron system following the NFT, as part of a significant interaction between group (ASD vs. controls) and training (pre- vs. post-training). These changes were positively correlated with behavioral improvements in the ASD participants, indicating that mu-rhythm NFT may be beneficial to individuals with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.|Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.|Neurosciences, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8125-574X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Datko
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Science, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.|Neurosciences, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph-Axel
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D058765:Neurofeedback / Q000379:methods*; D066191:Sensorimotor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D012938:Social Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Mu-rhythm; functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); mirror neuron system; plasticity; sociocommunication