Clinical applications for Neurofeedback training
We test the feasibility and clinical efficacy of neurofeedback training for the rehabilitation and treatment of psychiatric and neurological conditions. During neurofeedback training patients engage in mental imagery while being provided with a feedback signal, for instance a thermometer display, that represents the activity of a certain brain region or network that is being trained. Thereby, patients can learn to control this activity. Recent trials of real-time fMRI neurofeedback suggest that this technique may improve clinical symptoms. My previous work has focused on clinical neurofeedback training for depressive disorder and motor rehabilitation in neurological conditions such as stroke and Parkinson's disease.
Depressive disorder
Depressive disorder is considered a leading cause for disability, up to one third of patients do not respond sufficiently to standard treatment. In our own randomized controlled trial (RCT) of real-time fMRI neurofeedback training in depressed patients (Mehler et al., 2018) we have demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in patients who did previously not respond sufficiently to standard care (i.e., psychotherapy and psychopharmacology). Patients in this trial used positive and relaxing mental imagery to self-regulate activity in selected brain areas, which was associated with substantial clinical improvements. The study has been featured on the blogs of the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) and the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS), where we explain our findings and give more information about the background of this work in an accessible language.
We test the feasibility and clinical efficacy of neurofeedback training for the rehabilitation and treatment of psychiatric and neurological conditions. During neurofeedback training patients engage in mental imagery while being provided with a feedback signal, for instance a thermometer display, that represents the activity of a certain brain region or network that is being trained. Thereby, patients can learn to control this activity. Recent trials of real-time fMRI neurofeedback suggest that this technique may improve clinical symptoms. My previous work has focused on clinical neurofeedback training for depressive disorder and motor rehabilitation in neurological conditions such as stroke and Parkinson's disease.
Depressive disorder
Depressive disorder is considered a leading cause for disability, up to one third of patients do not respond sufficiently to standard treatment. In our own randomized controlled trial (RCT) of real-time fMRI neurofeedback training in depressed patients (Mehler et al., 2018) we have demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in patients who did previously not respond sufficiently to standard care (i.e., psychotherapy and psychopharmacology). Patients in this trial used positive and relaxing mental imagery to self-regulate activity in selected brain areas, which was associated with substantial clinical improvements. The study has been featured on the blogs of the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) and the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS), where we explain our findings and give more information about the background of this work in an accessible language.
Motor rehabilitation
Motor imagery based neurofeedback training to improve motor function in neurological conditions such as stroke and Parkinson's disease represents another potential clinical application. We have recently translated our protocols to a proof-of-concept study for real-time fMRI neurofeedback training with stroke patients (in collaboration with Prof. Duncan Turner, University of East London). The protocol of this study was pre-registered and publicly accessible on the Open Science Framework. We are also involved in a trial of EEG neurofeedback training for motor rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease ( in collaboration with Dr Andrew Cook, Bangor University).
Motor imagery based neurofeedback training to improve motor function in neurological conditions such as stroke and Parkinson's disease represents another potential clinical application. We have recently translated our protocols to a proof-of-concept study for real-time fMRI neurofeedback training with stroke patients (in collaboration with Prof. Duncan Turner, University of East London). The protocol of this study was pre-registered and publicly accessible on the Open Science Framework. We are also involved in a trial of EEG neurofeedback training for motor rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease ( in collaboration with Dr Andrew Cook, Bangor University).
