Modulation of Cortical Brain Activity During Attentional Control

EEG Alpha Rhythm Modulation Using Sham Neurofeedback During Attentional Control in a Virtual Reality Environment

The goal of this study is to determine whether an open-loop sham neurofeedback system can effectively modulate EEG alpha rhythms, which are associated with attentional control. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does positive sham neurofeedback lead to a decrease in relative EEG alpha power compared to a control condition without feedback?

Researchers will compare the effects of positive and negative sham-neurofeedback conditions to a control condition without feedback to assess the system's impact on alpha rhythm modulation. Participants will:

Experience three conditions (positive sham-neurofeedback, negative sham-neurofeedback, and no feedback) within a virtual reality environment.

Undergo EEG recordings to measure changes in alpha power as a marker of attentional resource allocation.

Provide written informed consent and complete the study following ethical guidelines.

This study seeks to explore the potential of open-loop feedback systems to enhance attentional control by modulating alpha rhythm.

Attention is a vital cognitive process that enables selective focus on behaviourally relevant information. A perceived lack of attentional control has been linked to mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, often manifesting through maladaptive coping strategies like rumination. As a trainable cognitive skill, attentional control can be enhanced through learning processes, particularly when reinforced by positive feedback within a classical operant conditioning framework. EEG studies have demonstrated that decreases in alpha rhythm power are associated with increased attentional resource allocation. While neurofeedback systems, especially those targeting alpha rhythms, typically rely on closed-loop modulation during attentional tasks, the impact of open-loop feedback on EEG alpha modulation remains unexplored. This study aims to determine whether an open-loop feedback system can effectively modulate EEG alpha rhythms, as a marker correlate of attentional control. The investigators propose a within-subject experiment where participants will experience positive and negative sham neurofeedback conditions, as well as a control condition with no feedback, all within a virtual reality environment. The investigators hypothesize that relative EEG alpha power will decrease in the positive sham neurofeedback condition compared to the control condition, reflecting a meaningful increase in attentional resource allocation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged between 18 and 60 years.
• Normal or corrected vision.
• Ability to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy.
• Significant hearing loss or diagnosed hearing impairment.
• Current psychiatric illness or disorder.
• History of migraines or chronic headaches.
• History of substance or alcohol abuse.
• Currently pregnant.
• Discomfort with using a virtual reality headset, assessed during a pilot session.