Neurofeedback enhances signal-to-noise ratio in thought

http://research.vtc.vt.edu/news/2013/sep/13/covert-operations-your-brain-digitally-remastered/.

Virgina Tech Carillon Professor Stephen Laconte developed technology to transfer non-invasive brain activity measurements into control signals that drive physical devices and computer displays in real time. The study suggests that the signal-to-noise ratio of the brain activity underlying our thoughts can be remastered. Researchers used whole-brain, classifier-based real-time fMRI to understand the neural underpinnings of brain-computer interface control.

24 subjects were asked to control a visual interface by silently counting numbers at fast and slow rates. For half the tasks, the subjects were told to use their thoughts to control the movement of the needle on the device they were observing; for the other tasks, they simply watched the needle.  Scientists discovered a feedback effect: the subjects who were in control of the needle achieved a better whole-brain signal-to-noise ratio than those who simply watched the needle move.  The act of controlling the computer-brain interface also led to an increased classification accuracy, which corresponded with improvements in the whole-brain signal-to-noise ratio.

This enhanced signal-to-noise ratio has implications for brain rehabilitation.