Decoded EEG neurofeedback-guided cognitive reappraisal training for emotion regulation

Neurofeedback, when combined with cognitive reappraisal, offers promising potential for emotion regulation training. However, prior studies have predominantly relied on functional magnetic resonance imaging, which could impede its clinical feasibility. Furthermore, these studies have primarily focused on reducing negative emotions while overlooking the importance of enhancing positive emotions. In our current study, we developed a novel electroencephalogram (EEG) neurofeedback-guided cognitive reappraisal training protocol for emotion regulation. We recruited forty-two healthy subjects (20 females; 22.4 ± 2.2 years old) who were randomly assigned to either the neurofeedback group or the control group. We evaluated the efficacy of this newly proposed neurofeedback training approach in regulating emotions evoked by pictures with different valence levels (low positive and high negative). Initially, we trained an EEG-based emotion decoding model for each individual using offline data. During the training process, we calculated the subjects’ real-time self-regulation performance based on the decoded emotional states and fed it back to the subjects as feedback signals. Our results indicate that the proposed decoded EEG neurofeedback-guided cognitive reappraisal training protocol significantly enhanced emotion regulation performance for stimuli with low positive valence. Additionally, wavelet energy and differential entropy features in the high-frequency band played a crucial role in emotion classification and were associated with neural plasticity changes induced by emotion regulation. These findings validate the beneficial effects of the proposed EEG neurofeedback protocol and offer insights into the neural mechanisms underlying its training effects. This novel decoded neurofeedback training protocol presents a promising cost-effective and non-invasive treatment technique for emotion-related mental disorders.