Application of fMRI Brain-Computer Interface to self-regulation of the BOLD signal and neural connectivity in Schizophrenia

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Schizophrenia is a devastating brain disorder where patients still suffer from a poor outcome in spite of treatments. Current knowledge states that psychopathology and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia arise from circumscribed brain abnormalities but also from an abnormal connectivity between distributed brain networks. Brain-Computer Interfaces based on functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI-BCI) enable subjects to achieve volitional control of anatomically specific regions of the brain, leading to behavioral changes related to the activated areas. Preliminary results obtained in our laboratory demonstrated that fMRI-BCI can also induce an enhancement of connectivity of the brain networks. We have developed an fMRI-BCI that can provide subjects graphically animated, real-time contingent feedback of circumscribed regions of the brain to train them to volitionally self-regulate the BOLD signal. Furthermore, we can provide feedback of the effective connectivity (EC) of two or more brain regions, to train subjects to directly regulate the connectivity of these networks. Based in this technology and on our preliminary results, we propose to implement for the first time, fMRI-BCI in schizophrenia. The main aims of this study are: 1) to train schizophrenia patients to self-regulate, by fMRI-BCI training, the activity of circumscribed brain areas and the EC of relevant brain networks, and 2) to demonstrate that the enhanced activity and connectivity achieved by self-regulation leads to a modification of the behavioural response of core stable cognitive deficits of the disorder.