Abstract

It was demonstrated previously that neurorehabilitation with the BCI-controlled robotic device Exohand-2 combined with conventional therapeutic modalities resulted in significant motor improvement in children with cerebral palsy. However, EEG records were not analyzed in the previous study. The aim of this paper was to describe the reactivity patterns of the EEG α-rhythm during a series of 10 BCI-based neurorehabilitation sessions. The study was carried out in 32 boys and girls aged 10 to 18 years with right- or left-side hemiparesis. EEG was recorded from 21 electrodes at rest and during kinesthetic imagery of finger extension. During the first session, patterns of α-rhythm reactivity during motor imagery differed between patients with left- and right-side hemiparesis. The differences were statistically significant at Р2 during left hand movement rehearsal (F1, 30 = 5.10; p < 0.05). During the final session, the pattern of α-rhythm reactivity was different: synchronization was taken over by desynchronization at some electrode sites, suggesting increased activity of the neocortex. The most conspicuous EEG changes were observed in children with left-side hemiparesis (F20, 300 = 1.84; p < 0.05). By the end of the rehabilitation course, the differences between patients with left-and right-side hemiparesis became much less pronounced. Rearrangements in the EEG patterns in the α-frequency band can be regarded as signs of beneficial reorganization of neural circuits responsible for planning and executing complex hand movements.

Highlights

  • It was demonstrated previously that neurorehabilitation with the noninvasive brain-computer interfaces (BCI)-controlled robotic device combined with conventional therapeutic modalities resulted in significant motor improvement in children with cerebral palsy

  • Using a 2 × 2 × 21 design, we evaluated the effects of one intersubject factor GROUP and two intrasubject factors: HAND and LOCUS

  • We demonstrated that rehabilitation with noninvasive BCI-controlled robotic hand significantly improved motor function of the upper limbs in children with cerebral palsy (CP) [11]

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Summary

Introduction

It was demonstrated previously that neurorehabilitation with the noninvasive BCI-controlled robotic device combined with conventional therapeutic modalities resulted in significant motor improvement in children with cerebral palsy. The aim of this paper was to describe the reactivity patterns of the EEG α-rhythm during a series of 10 BCI-based neurorehabilitation sessions. The study was carried out in 32 boys and girls aged 10 to 18 years with right- or left-side hemiparesis. Patterns of α-rhythm reactivity during motor imagery differed between patients with left- and right-side hemiparesis. The differences were statistically significant at Р2 during left hand movement rehearsal (F1, 30 = 5.10; p < 0.05). The pattern of α-rhythm reactivity was different: synchronization was taken over by desynchronization at some electrode sites, suggesting increased activity of the neocortex. Informed consent was obtained from the patients or their legal representatives

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