Imaging During Subliminal Perception

Functional Imaging During Subliminal Perception

Subliminal perception of visual stimuli can be studied with functional brain imaging, e.g. with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it is unclear how subliminal perception affects connectivity in the brain.

Further, it is not known if real-time (rt) fMRI neurofeedback of brain areas involved in subliminal perception can lead to supra-threshold perception.

For attention tasks, the investigators hypothesize that functional connectivity strength is mediated by the insular cortex during both supra-threshold and subliminal perception.

Additionally, the investigators hypothesize that rt-fMRI neurofeedback training should alter neuronal and behavioral responses.

In this project, using healthy adults, the investigators have 2 aims:

1. Apply electroencephalography (EEG) and fMRI before and after rt-fMRI neurofeedback during attention tasks to identify brain regions involved in subliminal and supraliminal perception.
2. Apply functional connectivity analyses during these tasks.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adults (> 18 < 80 years), which can read and sign the informed consent form
• Male and female
• Right-handed

Exclusion Criteria:

• metallic items in the body (i.e. eye splinter, MR incompatible implants)
• pacemaker
• claustrophobia
• pregnant participants
• participants suffering from a degenerative disorder of the Central Nervous System, such as Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease and with major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, or anxiety disorder
• Drug intake (psychopharmaca)