BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE: THE IMPACT ON NEUROPLASTICITY AND MOTOR LEARNING-A NARRATIVE REVIEW.

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Background: Neurological disorders, especially stroke, have now become the major causes of death all around the world. They are also the leading cause of impairments and disabilities among those who survive which leads to dependency in ADL’s and an impairment in overall quality of life. Even though traditional rehabilitation techniques and advances in technology (VR/AR/GAMING/ASSISTIVE DEVICES/EXOSKELETONS) play a major role in the recovery process, not all individuals show a 100% positive outcome. Research suggests that the combination of BCI with traditional rehab techniques or advanced technologies help in increasing neuroplasticity by translating the brain signals into commands that can control external devices thereby leading to improved functions and activities. Objective: The objective of this review is to summarize the available evidence and to highlight the mechanism through which the BCI’s promote neuroplasticity and enhance motor functions. Methods: Articles were searched and reviewed from PubMed, research gate, google scholar using the terms BCI, neuroplasticity, motor functions, neurorehabilitation etc. only the studies which were fully accessible; showed positive outcomes; focusing on motor recovery and neuro rehab were included and the studies which focused on other uses of BCI such as gaming, commercial applications and those that focused on measuring non motor functions and cognitive impairments were excluded. Results and Conclusion: After reviewing the articles it was concluded that BCI in combination with conventional rehab techniques and advanced technologies promote neuroplasticity thereby improving functions through repeated activation of neurons and improving coordination and motor function by enhancing the brain connectivity. Implications: The invention of BCI and its combination with other rehab processes aids in the improvement of motor recovery and an overall improvement in ADL’s and quality of life of patients suffering from various neurological disorders.