Posted by Hugh on January 25, 2016, at 18:53:58
In results from a more recent study, Dr. Young says that after two sessions of neurofeedback, depression scores dropped 50%. In the control group, they dropped 10%. These results are not yet published, but were presented at the Society of Biological Psychiatry annual meeting in 2015.
While in the scanner, study subjects were told to recall positive autobiographical memories. At the same time, they were shown an image of a red bar, which coordinated with their own brain activity. Subjects in the active group received feedback from their left amygdala, a part of the brain that processes emotional memories.
Zac Williams recently participated in two of the Tulsa neurofeedback studies for depression. "I was going through a tough time. My father had just died and my girlfriend broke up with me," says the 26-year-old phone repair technician from Tulsa.
While he was in the scanner and trying to get the red bar to rise, researchers told him to pick several happy memories. He said he thought of getting his first car, a camping trip with friends and his first time riding a motorcycle. But those memories, he said, "werent necessarily making the bar go up." So he tried thinking about funny movies. When he recalled scenes of "Dumb and Dumber," he says the bar spiked. "It was kind of crazy to see something react based on your thoughts."
Since the treatment, Mr. Williams says his mood has improved. He says he's also using the skills he learned in the scanner when he feels down. "If there is something that bogs me down, I try to find a way to make myself laugh," he says.
The complete article from The Wall Street Journal:
This is a Ted Talk by one of the pioneers in the field of MRI neurofeedback:
poster:Hugh
thread:1085713
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20151225/msgs/1085713.html