ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Changes in EEG patterns in the α-frequency band following BCI-based therapy in children with cerebral palsy

Larina NV, Nacharova MA, Korsunskaya LL, Vlasenko SV, Pavlenko VB
About authors

V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Simferopol, Russia

Correspondence should be addressed: Vladimir B. Pavlenko
Pr. Vernadskogo, 4, Simferopol, 295007; moc.liamg@55vapv

About paper

Funding: the study was part of the state-funded project RFMEFI60519X0186 on the Development of a BCI-based hand exoskeleton with biological feedback for the rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

Author contribution: Larina NV, Korsunskaya LL, Vlasenko SV — data acquisition, manuscript preparation; Nacharova MA, Pavlenko VB — data analysis, manuscript preparation.

Compliance with ethical standards: the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Vernadsky Crimean Federal University (Protocol № 53 dated December 06, 2018). Informed consent was obtained from the patients or their legal representatives.

Received: 2020-06-16 Accepted: 2020-07-02 Published online: 2020-07-16
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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. 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.

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