Abstract
In the present study, we show for the first time that motor imagery of swallowing, which is defined as the mental imagination of a specific motor act without overt movements by muscular activity, can be successfully used as mental strategy in a neurofeedback training paradigm. Furthermore, we demonstrate its effects on cortical correlates of swallowing function. Therefore, N = 20 healthy young adults were trained to voluntarily increase their hemodynamic response in swallowing related brain areas as assessed with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). During seven training sessions, participants received either feedback of concentration changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb group, N = 10) or deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb group, N = 10) over the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during motor imagery of swallowing. Before and after the training, we assessed cortical activation patterns during motor execution and imagery of swallowing. The deoxy-Hb group was able to voluntarily increase deoxy-Hb over the IFG during imagery of swallowing. Furthermore, swallowing related cortical activation patterns were more pronounced during motor execution and imagery after the training compared to the pre-test, indicating cortical reorganization due to neurofeedback training. The oxy-Hb group could neither control oxy-Hb during neurofeedback training nor showed any cortical changes. Hence, successful modulation of deoxy-Hb over swallowing related brain areas led to cortical reorganization and might be useful for future treatments of swallowing dysfunction.
Highlights
Prior neurofeedback (NF) studies could show that participants can learn enhanced voluntary control over task-specific activation in the somatomotor cortex by motor imagery of hand or foot movements [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Based on the findings of a previous study [12], in which we investigated the hemodynamic changes in the brain in response to motor execution (ME) and motor imagery (MI) of swallowing using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), the probe set was positioned over the motor cortex area
In the present proof-of-principle study, we investigated for the first time the feasibility of NIRS-based NF training using motor imagery of swallowing as mental strategy and its effects on cortical underpinnings of swallowing
Summary
Prior neurofeedback (NF) studies could show that participants can learn enhanced voluntary control over task-specific activation in the somatomotor cortex by motor imagery of hand or foot movements [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Motor imagery, which is defined as the mental imagination of a specific.
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