Correlations Between the DMN and the Smoking Cessation Outcome of a Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Supported Exploratory Therapy Approach: Descriptive Statistics on Tobacco-Dependent Patients.

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity for predicting the success of smoking cessation in patients with tobacco dependence in the context of a real-time function al MRI (RT-fMRI) neurofeedback (NF) supported therapy.Fifty-four tobacco-dependent patients underwent three RT-fMRI-NF sessions including resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) runs over a period of 4 weeks during professionally assisted smoking cessation. Patients were randomized into two groups that performed either active NF of an addiction-related brain region or sham NF. After preprocessing, the RSFC baseline data were statistically evaluated using seed-based ROI (SBA) approaches taking into account the smoking status of patients after 3 months (abstinence/relapse).The results of the real study group showed a widespread functional connectivity in the relapse subgroup (n = 10) exceeding the DMN template and mainly low correlations and anticorrelations in the within-seed analysis. In contrast, the connectivity pattern of the abstinence subgroup (n = 8) primarily contained the core DMN in the seed-to-whole-brain analysis and a left lateralized correlation pattern in the within-seed analysis. Calculated Multi-Subject Dictionary Learning (MSDL) matrices showed anticorrelations between DMN regions and salience regions in the abstinence group. Concerning the sham group, results of the relapse subgroup (n = 4) and the abstinence subgroup (n = 6) showed similar trends only in the within-seed analysis.In the setting of a RT-fMRI-NF-assisted therapy, a widespread intrinsic DMN connectivity and a low negative coupling between the DMN and the salience network (SN) in patients with tobacco dependency during early withdrawal may be useful as an early indicator of later therapy nonresponse.

Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback in Patients With Tobacco Use Disorder During Smoking Cessation: Functional Differences and Implications of the First Training Session in Regard to Future Abstinence or Relapse.

One of the most prominent symptoms in addiction disorders is the strong desire to consume a particular substance or to show a certain behavior (craving). The strong association between craving and the probability of relapse emphasizes the importance of craving in the therapeutic process. Former studies have demonstrated that neuromodulation using real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback (NF) can be used as a treatment modality in patients with tobacco use disorder. The aim of the present project was to determine whether it is possible to predict the outcome of NF training plus group psychotherapy at the beginning of the treatment. For that purpose, neuronal responses during the first rtfMRI NF session of patients who remained abstinent for at least 3 months were compared to those of patients with relapse. All patients were included in a certified smoke-free course and took part in three NF sessions. During the rtfMRI NF sessions tobacco-associated and neutral pictures were presented. Subjects were instructed to reduce their neuronal responses during the presentation of smoking cues in an individualized region of interest for craving [anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula or dorsolateral prefrontal cortex]. Patients were stratified to different groups [abstinence (N = 10) vs. relapse (N = 12)] according to their individual smoking status 3 months after the rtfMRI NF training. A direct comparison of BOLD responses during the first NF-session of patients who had remained abstinent over 3 months after the NF training and patients who had relapsed after 3 months showed that patients of the relapse group demonstrated enhanced BOLD responses, especially in the ACC, the supplementary motor area as well as dorsolateral prefrontal areas, compared to abstinent patients. These results suggest that there is a probability of estimating a successful withdrawal in patients with tobacco use disorder by analyzing the first rtfMRI NF session: a pronounced reduction of frontal responses during NF training in patients might be the functional correlate of better therapeutic success. The results of the first NF sessions could be useful as predictor whether a patient will be able to achieve success after the behavioral group therapy and NF training in quitting smoking or not.