Method of correlating brain activity

Abstract

The present invention includes systems and methods of using real-time neurofeedback to improve the correspondence between first-person experience and specific brain activation patterns in a manner that minimally affects the experience itself. The present invention provides meditators the ability to enhance their control over their own brain activity, such as posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activation. The present invention also provides methods for treating a disease or disorder of a subject by measuring the subject's brain activity via fMRI, presenting a representation of the measured brain activity to the subject, and instructing the subject to reduce the represented brain activity by altering their meditative state. The present invention also provides a system and method of using fMRI neurofeedback to directly correlate subjective experience with neural activation.

1 . A method of enhancing a meditative state of a subject, comprising:
 measuring a subject's posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activity by fMRI;   presenting a representation of the subject's PCC activity to the subject simultaneously with said measuring; and   instructing the subject to alter their meditative state, such that the alteration to their meditative state decreases PCC activity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced meditative state reduces mind-wandering. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enhanced meditative state reduces stress. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the representation of the subject's PCC activity is presented to the subject via a visual display, an interactive visual display, an auditory signal, or a tactile signal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring at least one additional brain activity in the subject's brain selected from the group consisting of the following brain regions: dorsal anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, posterior insula, and thalamus;
 presenting a representation of the subject's at least one additional brain activity to the subject simultaneously with said measuring; and   instructing the subject to alter their meditative state, such that the alteration to their meditative state decreases the subject's at least one additional brain activity.   
     
     
         6 . A method of treating a disease or disorder of a subject, comprising:
 measuring a subject's brain activity;   presenting a representation of the subject's brain activity to the subject simultaneously with said measuring;   instructing the subject to enter into a meditative state; and   instructing the subject to reduce the represented brain activity by enhancing their present meditative state.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the subject's brain activity is measured by fMRI or source-localized electroencephalograpy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the subject's brain activity is measured by measuring the activity of at least one brain region selected from the group consisting of the following specific brain regions in a human subject: posterior cingulate cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, posterior insula, and thalamus. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disease is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disorder is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disorder is depression. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disorder is a substance use disorder. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disorder is stress related. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the disorder is mind-wandering. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the representation of the subject's brain activity is presented to the subject via a visual display, an interactive visual display, an auditory signal, or a tactile signal. 
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method of correlating information of a subject with a neuronal process of the subject, comprising:
 detecting levels of brain activity of a subject from at least one brain region selected from the group consisting of the following specific brain regions in a human subject: posterior cingulate cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, posterior insula, and thalamus; and   correlating said detected level of brain activity with at least one information of the subject selected from the group consisting of the subject's physiological stress level, the subject's degree of self-referential activation, the subject's depth of meditation, and the subject's depth of “flow” state; wherein the at least one information of the subject selected from the group is occurring at substantially the same time as the detected brain activity.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the detecting is performed by fMRT or source-localized electroencephalography.