Decoded Neurofeedback (DecNef) is the process of inducing knowledge in a subject by increasing neural activation in predetermined regions in the brain, such as the visual cortex.
Without explicit knowledge of what they are supposed to be doing or thinking about, over time participants learn to induce this ideal pattern of neural activation.
Experiments conducted in 2011 at Boston University (BU) and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan demonstrated that volunteers were able to quickly solve complex visual puzzles they had not previously had exposure to.
This non-pharmaceutical approach to treating a variety of diseases, such as anxiety, ADHD, and depression, is based on notions of neuroplasticity and learning.
[1] The research has far-reaching implications for treating patients with various learning disabilities, mental illness, memory problems, and motor functionality impairments.