Continuous versus intermittent real-time fMRI neurofeedback for training the anterior insula
Official title: A Comparative Study of Continuous vs. Intermittent Real-time fMRI Neurofeedback in Regulating Anterior Insula Activity
Run by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China · NCT07389486 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will try continuous and intermittent real-time fMRI neurofeedback in healthy adults to see if one method better changes interoception and empathy-related responses.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 30 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 90 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chengdu, Sichuan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 28, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 6, 2026 |
| Study ends | June 8, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | February 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07389486 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy adults without current or past psychiatric or neurological disorders who are eligible for MRI (no metal implants, not severely claustrophobic) are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
People with a history of brain injury, current medical or mental illness, or any contraindication to MRI would not be expected to benefit from or be eligible for this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial will enroll 90 healthy participants who are assigned to intermittent feedback from the left anterior insula, continuous feedback from the left anterior insula, or a sham control receiving feedback from the middle temporal gyrus. Participants complete four on-scanner training sessions with feedback and one transfer session without feedback; each session contains five regulation blocks and five rest blocks. Pain-related images and empathy ratings are collected at the end of each block, and a heartbeat detection task is performed before and after the training to measure changes in interoceptive accuracy. An on-site functional localizer (heartbeat counting) is used to identify the anterior insula, and validated Chinese questionnaires capture personality traits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify which feedback mode most effectively trains anterior insula function and inform noninvasive interventions to improve interoception and emotion-related processing in clinical populations.
How similar studies have gone: Prior real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies targeting the insula and related networks have shown promising but mixed results for emotion regulation, pain, and interoception, so the approach is experimental but supported by preliminary data.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Healthy subjects without any past or present psychiatric or neurological disorders Exclusion Criteria: History of brain injury medical or mental illness Contraindication to MRI scanning (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia or other --conditions that make them inappropriate for MRI scanning)
Where it's running
-
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chengdu, Sichuan, China Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Shuxia Yao, Dr
- Email: yaoshuxia@uestc.edu.cn
- Phone: 18111297596
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.