Neurofeedback to Reduce Spontaneous Recovery of Threat Expectancy

Launched by TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · Aug 11, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new type of training called neurofeedback to help reduce something called "spontaneous recovery of threat expectancy" in healthy adults. In simple terms, this means the study is testing whether people can learn to better control their natural reactions to feeling threatened or anxious, using real-time brain scans. The neurofeedback uses a special type of MRI scan that measures brain activity and gives participants feedback based on how two parts of their brain—the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus—are working together.

To take part, adults between 18 and 50 years old who are healthy and have no history of mental health or brain disorders may qualify. Participants should not be taking any medications that affect the brain, must be right-handed, have normal color vision, and be able to read and write in English well. They also need to show a certain natural response during a screening test before joining. During the study, participants will receive this brain feedback training while inside an MRI scanner, which means they need to be safe for MRI procedures (no metal implants, for example). Pregnant women and those outside the age range or with certain health issues won’t be eligible. If you qualify and join, you’ll be helping researchers learn more about how the brain controls fear and anxiety, which could lead to better ways to manage these feelings in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults aged 18-50
• • No history of psychiatric disorders or neurological disorders affecting the central nervous system.
• • Are not currently taking psychoactive medication or drugs of abuse.
• • Must be eligible to enter an MRI (i.e., no permanent metal or medical implants)
• • Normal color vision
• • Right-handed
• • Full reading and writing English comprehension
• • Must exhibit spontaneous recovery behavior as determined by an experimenter in a prescreening experimental session
• • Must be able to provide informed consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Pregnancy (female participants)
• • Outside of age range
• • History of psychiatric or neurological disease
• • Currently taking psychoactive medication or drugs of abuse
• • Color blindness
• • Primary left-handedness
• • Less than full reading and writing English comprehension
• • Do not exhibit spontaneous recovery behavior as determined by an experimenter in a prescreening experimental session
• • Refusing to provide informed consent