Roh Mootaek, Jang Il-Sung, Suk Kyoungho, Lee Maan-Gee
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2019 Feb 28;17(1):93-104. doi: 10.9758/cpn.2019.17.1.93.
Brain activity is known to be voluntarily controllable by neurofeedback, a kind of electroencephalographic (EEG) operant conditioning. Although its efficacy in clinical effects has been reported, it is yet to be uncovered whether or how a specific band activity is controllable. Here, we examined EEG spectral profiles along with conditioning training of a specific brain activity, theta band (4-8 Hz) amplitude, in rats.
During training, the experimental group received electrical stimulation to the medial forebrain bundle contingent to suppression of theta activity, while the control group received stimulation non-contingent to its own band activity.
In the experimental group, theta activity gradually decreased within the training session, while there was an increase of theta activity in the control group. There was a significant difference in theta activity during the sessions between the two groups. The spectral theta peak, originally located at 7 Hz, shifted further towards higher frequencies in the experimental group.
Our results showed that an operant conditioning technique could train rats to control their specific EEG activity indirectly, and it may be used as an animal model for studying how neuronal systems work in human neurofeedback.
已知大脑活动可通过神经反馈（一种脑电图（EEG）操作条件反射）进行自主控制。尽管其临床效果的有效性已有报道，但特定频段活动是否可控以及如何可控仍有待揭示。在此，我们在大鼠中研究了脑电图频谱特征以及特定脑活动（θ频段（4 - 8赫兹）振幅）的条件训练。
在训练期间，实验组在θ活动受到抑制时接受对内侧前脑束的电刺激，而对照组接受与其自身频段活动无关的刺激。
在实验组中，θ活动在训练过程中逐渐降低，而对照组中θ活动增加。两组在训练期间的θ活动存在显著差异。实验组中原本位于7赫兹的频谱θ峰值进一步向更高频率偏移。
我们的结果表明，一种操作条件反射技术可以训练大鼠间接控制其特定的脑电图活动，并且它可能用作研究神经元系统在人类神经反馈中如何工作的动物模型。
