Brain–Machine Interface Induced Morpho-Functional Remodeling of the Neural Motor System in Severe Chronic Stroke

Andrea Caria*, Josué Luiz Dalboni da Rocha, Giuseppe Gallitto, Niels Birbaumer, Ranganatha Sitaram, Ander Ramos Murguialday

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Brain–machine interfaces (BMI) permit bypass motor system disruption by coupling contingent neuroelectric signals related to motor activity with prosthetic devices that enhance afferent and proprioceptive feedback to the somatosensory cortex. In this study, we investigated neural plasticity in the motor network of severely impaired chronic stroke patients after an EEG-BMI-based treatment reinforcing sensorimotor contingency of ipsilesional motor commands. Our structural connectivity analysis revealed decreased fractional anisotropy in the splenium and body of the corpus callosum, and in the contralesional hemisphere in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, the posterior thalamic radiation, and the superior corona radiata. Functional connectivity analysis showed decreased negative interhemispheric coupling between contralesional and ipsilesional sensorimotor regions, and decreased positive intrahemispheric coupling among contralesional sensorimotor regions. These findings indicate that BMI reinforcing ipsilesional brain activity and enhancing proprioceptive function of the affected hand elicits reorganization of contralesional and ipsilesional somatosensory and motor-assemblies as well as afferent and efferent connection–related motor circuits that support the partial re-establishment of the original neurophysiology of the motor system even in severe chronic stroke.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)635-650
Number of pages16
JournalNeurotherapeutics
Volume17
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2020

Keywords

  • Brain–machine interface
  • DTI
  • functional connectivity
  • motor recovery
  • stroke

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