Mu-Suppression neurofeedback trains the mirror neuron system in neurotypical humans
Mon-B22-Talk I-05
Presented by: Samanehsadat Dastgheib
Neurofeedback training (NFT) is a promising adjuvant therapeutic method in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. The desynchronization of mu rhythm (8-13 Hz) over centroparietal areas is known as a valid indicator of mirror neuron system (MNS) activation in the electroencephalogram (EEG) and has been associated with social skills. Still, the effect of neurofeedback training on the MNS requires to be well investigated. The present study examined the possible impact of NFT with a mu suppression training protocol in 16 healthy neurotypical participants during 11.25 hours and 15 NFT sessions. The participants took the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test" (RMTE), plus EEG recording experiments before and after NFT. Pre and post-training EEG source reconstruction analysis revealed a statistically significant mu suppression across the MNS-attributed areas after NFT. The frequency analysis showed mu suppression after neurofeedback without any statistically significant difference. At the behavioral level, the accuracy of RMTE scores did not suggest an effect of NFT on the ability to interpret subtle emotional expressions. Still, a significantly reduced response time was seen after the NFT. In conclusion, the Mu suppression NFT successfully induced mu suppression in the MNS-attributed areas, mainly while observing hand movements, along with partially positive behavioral results. Considering that the average time of NFT mentioned in the literature is around 30 hours, a more extended training period is necessary to induce mu suppression during social scenarios and involve social interaction brain areas.
Keywords: mu suppression, mirror neuron system, neurofeedback, EEG