Brittany Young, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Zack Nigogosyan, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Alexander B. Remsik BA, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Leo Walton, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jie Song MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Veena A. Nair PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Scott Grogan BS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Mitch Tyler, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Dorothy Farrar-Edwards, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kristin Caldera, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Justin Sattin, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Justin Williams, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Vivek Prabhakaran MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

BCI technology is being incorporated into new stroke rehabilitation devices, but little is known about brain changes associated with its use. We examine functional connectivity changes associated with BCI-based interventional therapy.

We collected anatomical and functional MRI of 9 stroke patients (ages 48-68, 6M) with persistent upper extremity motor impairment before, during, and after therapy using a novel BCI system. Subjects performed finger tapping of the impaired hand during fMRI. Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT), and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) domains of Hand Function (HF) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) were also assessed. Group-level analyses examined changes in whole-brain task-based functional connectivity (FC) to seed regions in the motor network observed during and after BCI therapy. Changes in FC at both the network and the connection levels were examined for correlations with changes in behavioral measures.

Whole-brain FC analyses seeded in each thalamus showed FC increases from baseline at mid-therapy and post-therapy (p<0.05). Average motor network FC increased post-therapy, and changes in average network FC correlated (p < 0.05) with changes in performance on ARAT (R2=0.21), 9-HPT (R2=0.41), SIS HF (R2=0.27), and SIS ADL (R2=0.40). Multiple individual connections within the motor network correlated in change from baseline with changes in behavioral measures; many involved the thalamus, with change in each of four behavioral measures significantly correlating with change in at least one thalamic connection.

Changes in FC occur with the administration of rehabilitative therapy using a BCI system. The correlations noted between FC measures and behavioral outcomes indicate that both adaptive and maladaptive changes in FC may develop with this therapy and suggest a brain-behavior relationship that may be stimulated by the neuromodulatory component of BCI therapy.

Characterizing brain connectivity changes with stroke rehabilitation using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology informs neuroplastic mechanisms associated with BCI therapy.

Young, B, Nigogosyan, Z, Remsik, A, Walton, L, Song, J, Nair, V, Grogan, S, Tyler, M, Farrar-Edwards, D, Caldera, K, Sattin, J, Williams, J, Prabhakaran, V, Changes in Functional Connectivity Correlate with Behavioral Gains in Stroke Patients after Therapy Using a Brain-Computer Interface Device.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14014388.html