Grant: Operating Grant

The ability to reflect upon our own thoughts and emotions represents one of the highest mental processes in humans. Recent neuroimaging studies have begun to identify the neural correlates of such processes. At the same time, recent technological advances have resulted in the emergence of real-time fMRI, a technique which allows individuals to view feedback about their own brain activity and use it to improve their ability to regulate their own brain. This research program aims to improve our understanding of the neural basis of human thought and self-reflection by employing recent developments in real-time fMRI. To do this, the present research program will undertake a number of investigations with healthy volunteers in order to examine different aspects of their ability to achieve increased brain self-regulation through viewing real-time feedback about their own brain activity and engaging in self-reflection. First, a longitudinal study will examine the effects of increased duration of training on one's brain-regulation ability. A second, separate study, will examine whether individuals can learn to enhance the connectivity between two brain regions. A third study will examine whether fluctuations in medial prefrontal activity predicts qualities of spontaneous thought, such as stimulus-oriented versus stimulus-independent thought contents. A fourth study will examine whether it is possible to predict the quality of one's mental experience based on the level of activity in particular brain regions. The results from these investigations will lead to improved scientific understanding of higher cognition and brain functions, as well as a better understanding of mental disorders such as depression and addiction that are specifically characterized by dysregulation of emotional self-regulation and self-reflective thought. This improved understanding could lead to novel treatments, thus improving patients' well-being and benefiting our society as a whole.