NCT01801254

Using EEG Operant Conditioning to Improve Trait Self-Control and Promote Healthy Behavior

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Rochester · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The field of neuroeconomics has begun to elucidate neural mechanisms underlying self-control; however, researchers have not yet harnessed neuroeconomics findings to develop interventions for improving self-control ability. The investigators are currently developing such an intervention. The investigators' approach involves using a brain-computer interface with audiovisual feedback to show people what is happening in their own brains, in real time. Through this interface, individuals are trained to increase levels of neural activity that may facilitate self-control, which, in turn, may improve the ability to exhibit self-controlled behaviors. This may increase the ability to engage in heath behaviors for which self-control is required (eg, dieting and exercising). The investigators' long-term goal is to create a tool that will help people develop the self-control needed to achieve lasting improvements in health behaviors.

Conditions

• Obesity
• Type II Diabetes
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Health Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	STRIDES	Self-Control TRaining for Increasing Delay of gratification through EEG operant conditioning with Source localization (STRIDES). Brain-computer interface training protocol designed to up-regulate specific types of neural activity, in regions including the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, and Brodmann area 6 bilaterally. Targeted neural activity types are positively associated with self-controlled behavior.
OTHER	Sham Control	Brain-computer interface training protocol that is designed to have no effect on self-controlled behavior.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-02-01
• Primary completion: 2013-08-01
• Completion: 2015-02-01
• First posted: 2013-02-28
• Last updated: 2015-04-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States