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Abstract #0252

Self-Regulation of Amygdala Activation with Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback in Combat-Related PTSD

Raquel Phillips 1 , Vadim Zotev 1 , Han Yuan 1 , Kymberly Young 1 , Chung Ki Wong 1 , Brent Wurfel 1 , Frank Krueger 1,2 , Matthew Feldner 1,3 , and Jerzy Bodurka 1,4

1 Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States, 2 Neuroscience Dept., George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States, 3 Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States, 4 College of Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK, United States

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic and disabling psychiatric condition. Individuals with PTSD suffer from the dysregulation of several types of emotion including fear, anxiety, and depression. Neurocircuit models of PTSD emphasize the role of the amygdala. We utilize advances in real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI-nf) to directly modulate amygdala activity. This technique measures neuronal activity with sufficiently high temporal resolution that information from the amygdala is immediately available to form a feedback loop. We show that individuals with PTSD are able to use rtfMRI-nf training to enhance the control of the hemodynamic response of the amygdala.

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