Effects of neurofeedback on the activities of motor-related areas by using motor execution and imagery

Previous studies have reported that real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback using motor imagery can modulate the activity of several motor-related areas. However, the differences in these modulatory effects on distinct motor-related target regions using the same experimental protocol remain unelucidated. This study aimed to compare neurofeedback effects on the primary motor area (M1) and the ventral premotor cortex (PMv). Of the included participants, 15 received blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals from their left M1, and the other 15 received signals from their left PMv. Both groups were instructed to try to increase the neurofeedback score (NF-Score), which reflected the averaged activation level of the target region, by executing or imagining a right-hand clenching movement. The result revealed that during imagery condition, the left M1 was deactivated in the PMv-group but not in the M1-group, whereas the left PMv was activated in the PMv-group but not in the M1-group. Our finding indicates that neurofeedback from distinct motor-related regions has different effects on brain activity regulation.