Real-time brain training to reduce depressive symptoms with feedback from fMRI
Official title: Reducing neural perseveration through closed loop real time fMRI neurofeedback to alleviate depressive symptoms
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11406020 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests a new real-time brain feedback therapy that uses cloud-based pattern reading from MRI to help adults with depression reduce negative attention biases.
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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $753,942 |
| NIH project number | 5R33MH128492-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406020 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 18-65 with major depressive disorder who meet study criteria and are willing to participate in fMRI sessions and receive neurofeedback.
✕Less likely to help
People with other psychiatric or neurological conditions, or those unable to participate in MRI sessions, may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you have major depression, this research asks if a closed-loop real-time fMRI feedback therapy can lessen depressive symptoms by guiding attention away from negative thoughts. Participants 18-65 with major depressive disorder will receive either active neurofeedback or a sham control over a dose-escalation protocol to find the lowest effective amount of training. The therapy uses cloud-based pattern classification to decode attentional state and adjust tasks in real time, aiming to reduce neural perseveration of negative states. Researchers will measure changes in depression severity and neural engagement before and after training to see if this approach works. This is an early-stage study to determine feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of this novel brain-based psychotherapeutic approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a new, brain-based treatment option that helps reduce depressive symptoms by training attention.
How similar studies have gone: Prior neurofeedback and real-time fMRI approaches have shown potential, but this is a novel closed-loop, cloud-classified system.
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.