Cognitive enhancement through real-time fMRI neurofeedback

•Real-time fMRI enables neurofeedback of localized brain activity across the entire brain.•Self-regulation of localized and network activity can be learned.•Self-regulation of specific brain regions leads to specific corresponding behavioral changes.•Real-time fMRI may become a powerful non-invasive tool for cognitive enhancement.

Neuroscience has demonstrated that individual differences in cognitive task performance are closely linked to differences in brain activity. Neurofeedback training based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can effectively change specific localized brain activity. Various studies in healthy volunteers and patients have shown that self-regulation of specific brain activity can be learned with fMRI neurofeedback, and leads to specific corresponding behavioral changes. Initial evidence for cognitive enhancement due to fMRI neurofeedback include the domains of perception, motor performance, and memory. Although further conceptual and technical advances are needed to overcome current limitations of this novel method, its non-invasiveness and compatibility with other behavioral or pharmacological approaches promise that it will become a powerful tool for cognitive enhancement.