Modulation of Cortical Brain Activity During Attentional Control
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18-60
SponsorNational Council of Scientific and Technical Research, Argentina
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adults aged between 18 and 60 years.
Normal or corrected vision.
Ability to provide written informed consent.
Disqualifiers
Diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy.
Significant hearing loss or diagnosed hearing impairment.
Current psychiatric illness or disorder.
History of migraines or chronic headaches.
Trial population
The study will include adults aged between 18 and 60 years, selected from the city of Paraná and surrounding areas. The population will be balanced in terms of age and gender, ensuring representation across two age groups (18-40 years and 41-60 years). Participants will be recruited through: * Word-of-mouth. * Social media platforms. * University mailing lists and community boards. Initial contact will be made via telephone or email, where potential participants will be provided with detailed information about the study's purpose, procedures, and eligibility criteria. Recruitment materials and communications will describe the study as a conventional neurofeedback experiment to maintain participant naivety about the specific hypotheses and experimental conditions.
Trial design
Design model
Case-crossover
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Treatments tested in this trial
Positive sham neurofeedback
Other interventionParticipants receive simulated positive reinforcement feedback designed to mimic successful modulation of EEG alpha rhythms, despite the feedback not being directly based on their actual neural activity. This condition aims to create the perception of improved attentional control.
Negative sham neurofeedback
Other interventionParticipants receive simulated negative reinforcement feedback that mimics unsuccessful modulation of EEG alpha rhythms, regardless of their actual neural activity. This condition is intended to simulate reduced attentional control.
Control
Other interventionParticipants perform the same attentional task but without receiving any feedback. This condition serves as a baseline to evaluate the effects of the sham neurofeedback interventions on EEG alpha rhythm modulation.
Treatment groups
35 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Healthy3 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Relative alpha power
The primary outcome of the study is the change in relative EEG alpha power during the positive sham-neurofeedback condition compared to the control condition (no feedback). A decrease in relative alpha power is interpreted as an indicator of increased attentional resource allocation, reflecting enhanced attentional control. This measure is derived from EEG recordings captured during the experimental tasks in each condition.
Time frame
Immediately after interventionSecondary outcomes
1
Relative alpha power
The secondary outcome of the study is the change in relative EEG alpha power during the negative sham-neurofeedback condition compared to the control condition (no feedback).
Time frame
Immediately after interventionSponsors and contacts
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Source ClinicalTrials.gov