Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41056831›Full record

ArticlePsychiatry research2025

Amygdala-targeted neurofeedback for dissociative symptoms in PTSD: Converging evidence from three independent studies.

Tal Harmelech, Talma Hendler, Guy Gurevitch, Naomi Fine, Eyal Fruchter, Daniela Amital, Nadav Goldental, Raz Gross, Matthew A Robinson, Lauren Am Lebois and 2 more

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Article in Psychiatry research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Tal HarmelechGrayMatters Health, Haifa, Israel.
Talma HendlerGrayMatters Health, Haifa, Israel; Sagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Guy GurevitchSagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Naomi FineSagol Brain Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Eyal FruchterICAR Collective and Brus Rappaport Medical Facility of the Technicon, Haifa, Israel.
Daniela AmitalBarzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, Israel.
Nadav GoldentalSheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Raz GrossGray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Matthew A RobinsonDivision of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA.
Lauren Am LeboisDivision of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA.
Milissa KaufmanFaculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel; Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA.
Aron TendlerGrayMatters Health, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: aron.tendler@gmail.com.

Funding

Multimodal Approaches to Neurobiology of Traumatic DissociationR01MH119227 · NIMH · MCLEAN HOSPITAL · PI KAUFMAN, MILISSA L · 2020 to 2024
$3.7M
Characterizing the Neurobiology of Pathological Dissociation: Mechanisms of Face Perception and Self Referential ProcessingK01MH118467 · NIMH · MCLEAN HOSPITAL · PI LEBOIS, LAUREN ANN MCDONOUGH · 2019 to 2022
$679k
NIMH NIH HHS K01 MH118467NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH119227
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDissociative symptoms occur in 14-30% of PTSD cases and present significant treatment challenges. These symptoms may respond to amygdala-targeted neural regulation training.

methodsSecondary analysis of patients with clinically significant dissociative symptoms (CAPS-5 Q29/Q30 >1) from three independent studies: Study 1 - comparison of amygdala neurofeedback + treatment-as-usual (n=14) vs. treatment-as-usual alone (n=7); Study 2 - single-arm neurofeedback study (n=14); Study 3 - comparison of amygdala neurofeedback (n=5) vs. control (n=2).

resultsLarge significant within-group improvements in both primary neurofeedback studies (Fine: d=1.82, p<0.001; Fruchter: d=0.85, p=0.007) contrasted with small non-significant effects in control groups. Mixed-effects analysis across all studies showed significant time effects (F=19.8, p<0.001) but non-significant Group × Time interactions. Specificity analysis revealed negligible correlations between dissociation improvements and other PTSD symptom changes (all r<0.17), indicating dissociation-specific rather than general therapeutic effects.

conclusionsConvergent evidence from independent studies supports preliminary efficacy of amygdala-targeted neurofeedback for dissociative symptoms. Larger controlled trials with standardized protocols are warranted.

Indexed as

AmygdalaDepersonalizationDerealizationDissociationEFP neurofeedbackPTSD

Identifiers

PMID41056831
PMCPMC12805813

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.