Brain-actuated Functional Electrical Stimulation Elicits Lasting Arm Motor Recovery After Stroke

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2018 Jun 22

PMID 29925890

Citations 184

Authors

A Biasiucci

R Leeb

I Iturrate

S Perdikis

A Al-Khodairy

T Corbet

A Schnider

T Schmidlin

H Zhang

M Bassolino

D Viceic

P Vuadens

A G Guggisberg

J D R Millan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are used in stroke rehabilitation to translate brain signals into intended movements of the paralyzed limb. However, the efficacy and mechanisms of BCI-based therapies remain unclear. Here we show that BCI coupled to functional electrical stimulation (FES) elicits significant, clinically relevant, and lasting motor recovery in chronic stroke survivors more effectively than sham FES. Such recovery is associated to quantitative signatures of functional neuroplasticity. BCI patients exhibit a significant functional recovery after the intervention, which remains 6-12 months after the end of therapy. Electroencephalography analysis pinpoints significant differences in favor of the BCI group, mainly consisting in an increase in functional connectivity between motor areas in the affected hemisphere. This increase is significantly correlated with functional improvement. Results illustrate how a BCI-FES therapy can drive significant functional recovery and purposeful plasticity thanks to contingent activation of body natural efferent and afferent pathways.

Citing Articles

Rehabilitation training robot using mirror therapy for the upper and lower limb after stroke: a prospective cohort study.

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Brain-Computer Interfaces for Upper Limb Motor Recovery after Stroke: Current Status and Development Prospects (Review).

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