Neurofeedback research using fMRI technology has increased dramatically in university settings in recent years and is helping shed light on the ways that neurofeedback can be of benefit to individuals from all walks of life.

As Neuroscience News has reported, one recent fMRI study published in the journal Psychological Medicine and conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience of King’s College, London shows that neurofeedback helped lessen symptoms of major depressive disorder in people who are depressed without also having anxiety.

The study is small, but it demonstrated an efficacy equal to talk therapy. In particular, it showed that fMRI-guided neurofeedback reduced feelings of self-blame and increased self-esteem.

Functional MRI is primarily a research tool at this point, because fMRI is too expensive for most clinical practices. However, the real-time fMRI helped because it gave participants a way to see what is happening in the brain as they strategize alternative ways of thinking about their situations.

EEG-based neurofeedback also demonstrates real-time shifts in brain activity, albeit through electrical brain-wave patterns rather than magnetic resonance imaging.

You can read the Neuroscience News article here and the study itself here.