Real-time brain feedback to break stuck negative attention in depression
Official title: Reducing neural perseveration through closed loop real time fMRI neurofeedback to alleviate depressive symptoms
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-10950399 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This approach gives people with major depression real-time brain-guided feedback to help reduce persistent negative attention and mood symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | December 15, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $753,456 |
| NIH project number | 4R33MH128492-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10950399 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 18–65 diagnosed with major depressive disorder who can safely undergo MRI scans would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with MRI contraindications, unstable medical/psychiatric conditions (for example active psychosis), or those outside the enrolled age range may not be able to benefit from or join this work.
What this research studies
You would come to the lab for sessions in an MRI scanner where your brain activity is decoded in real time using cloud-based pattern classifiers. The system uses that decoded attentional state to change what you see or do in the moment (a closed-loop approach) rather than just showing a separate gauge. In an initial phase 60 adults with major depressive disorder (ages 18–65) will be randomly assigned to active neurofeedback or sham feedback to find the lowest effective training “dose.” The team will compare changes in how long negative attention patterns persist in the brain and whether mood symptoms improve after training.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a non-drug therapy that helps interrupt stuck negative attention and reduce depressive symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: Some small real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies have shown promising signals, but closed-loop, cloud-based pattern-classification approaches targeting negative attention in depression are novel and not yet proven in larger trials.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sheline, Yvette I — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Sheline, Yvette I
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.