Cortical Activation Patterns Determine Effectiveness of rTMS-induced Motor Imagery Decoding Enhancement in Stroke Patients.

Combination therapy with motor imagery (MI)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising therapy for poststroke neurorehabilitation. However, with patients' individual differences, the clinical effects vary greatly. This study aims to explore the hypothesis that stroke patients show individualized cortical response to rTMS treatments, which determine the effectiveness of rTMS-induced MI decoding enhancement.

Enhancing Brain-Computer Interface Performance by Incorporating Brain-to-Brain Coupling.

Human cooperation relies on key features of social interaction in order to reach desirable outcomes. Similarly, human-robot interaction may benefit from integration with human-human interaction factors. In this paper, we aim to investigate brain-to-brain coupling during motor imagery (MI)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) training using eye-contact and hand-touch interaction.

Brain-Computer Interface Priming for Cervical Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Therapy: An Exploratory Case Study.

Loss of arm and hand function is one of the most devastating consequences of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Although some residual functional neurons often pass the site of injury, recovery after SCI is extremely limited. Recent efforts have aimed to augment traditional rehabilitation by combining exercise-based training with techniques such as transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), and movement priming.

Effect of Cervical Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation on Sensorimotor Cortical Activity during Upper-Limb Movements in Healthy Individuals.

Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) can improve upper-limb motor function after spinal cord injury. A number of studies have attempted to deduce the corticospinal mechanisms which are modulated following tSCS, with many relying on transcranial magnetic stimulation to provide measures of corticospinal excitability. Other metrics, such as cortical oscillations, may provide an alternative and complementary perspective on the physiological effect of tSCS.

EEG Monitoring Is Feasible and Reliable during Simultaneous Transcutaneous Electrical Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique that has in recent years been linked to improved volitional limb control in spinal-cord injured individuals. Although the technique is growing in popularity there is still uncertainty regarding the neural mechanisms underpinning sensory and motor recovery. Brain monitoring techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG) may provide further insights to the changes in coritcospinal excitability that have already been demonstrated using other techniques.

EEG Correlates of Self-Managed Neurofeedback Treatment of Central Neuropathic Pain in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: Neurofeedback (NFB) is a neuromodulatory technique that enables voluntary modulation of brain activity in order to treat neurological condition, such as central neuropathic pain (CNP). A distinctive feature of this technique is that it actively involves participants in the therapy. In this feasibility study, we present results of participant self-managed NFB treatment of CNP.