Increased alpha-rhythm dynamic range promotes recovery from visuospatial neglect: A neurofeedback study
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1
University of Geneva, Department of Neuroscience, Switzerland
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2
Geneva University Hospitals, Department of Neurology, Switzerland
Neurofeedback (NFB) involves a brain-computer interface that enables users to self-regulate neural activity in a closed-loop. Despite recent attempt to use NFB with EEG as a tool for rehabilitation of motor stroke, its potential for improving stroke-related impairments of attention -such as visuospatial neglect- remains underexplored. It is also unclear to what extent changes in cortical oscillatory activity contribute to the pathophysiology of neglect, or its recovery. Here, utilizing EEG NFB, we sought to causally manipulate alpha oscillations in 5 right-hemisphere stroke patients in order to explore their role in visuospatial neglect. We firstly observed successful NFB learning in our patients, with improved regulation of alpha oscillations from right parietal cortex pre-to-post training sessions. Secondly, we uncovered a significant negative correlation between visuospatial search deficits (i.e. cancellation test) and re-establishment of spontaneous alpha-rhythm dynamic range (i.e. its coefficient of variation). Although preliminary, these findings support the use of NFB as a tool for investigating neuroplastic recovery in stroke and suggest reinstatement of intact parietal alpha oscillations as a promising target towards reversing attentional deficits. Future studies need to design optimized NFB protocols to be applied to larger patients groups and determine the neural substrates promoting these benefits.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the neuropsychologists Anne Bellman, Nadia Lucas, Victorine Zermatten, all members of the neuropsychology unit and the general rehabilitation team of the Clinique Romande de Réadaptation and Vallée de Coeur Institute in Sion, for their help and their useful advice, as well as all the participants and their families.
References
Rihs TA, Michel CM, Thut G (2009) A bias for posterior alpha-band power suppression versus enhancement during shifting versus maintenance of spatial attention. Neuroimage 44:190–199.
Robineau F, Rieger SW, Mermoud C, Pichon S, Koush Y, Van De Ville D, Vuilleumier P, Scharnowski F (2014) Self-regulation of inter-hemispheric visual cortex balance through real-time fMRI neurofeedback training. Neuroimage 100:1–14.
Romei V, Rihs T, Brodbeck V, Thut G (2008) Resting electroencephalogram alpha-power over posterior sites indexes baseline visual cortex excitability. Neuroreport 19:203–208.
Ros T, Munneke M, Ruge D, Gruzelier J, Rothwell J (2010) Endogenous control of waking brain rhythms induces neuroplasticity in humans. Eur J Neurosci 31:770–778.
Keywords:
Neurofeedback,
EEG,
Stroke,
visuospatial attention,
hemineglect,
Alpha Rhythm
Conference:
SAN2016 Meeting, Corfu, Greece, 6 Oct - 9 Oct, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation in SAN2016 Conference
Topic:
Posters
Citation:
Ros
T,
Michela
A,
Saj
A and
Vuilleumier
P
(2016). Increased alpha-rhythm dynamic range promotes recovery from visuospatial neglect: A neurofeedback study.
Conference Abstract:
SAN2016 Meeting.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2016.220.00116
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Received:
29 Jul 2016;
Published Online:
01 Aug 2016.
*
Correspondence:
PhD. Tomas Ros, University of Geneva, Department of Neuroscience, Geneva, 1202, Switzerland, dr.t.ros@gmail.com