TY - JOUR
T1 - Muscle-selective disinhibition of corticomotor representations using a motor imagery-based brain-computer interface
AU - Takemi, Mitsuaki
AU - Maeda, Tsuyoshi
AU - Masakado, Yoshihisa
AU - Siebner, Hartwig Roman
AU - Ushiba, Junichi
N1 - Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - Bridging between brain activity and machine control, brain-computer interface (BCI) can be employed to activate distributed neural circuits implicated in a specific aspect of motor control. Using a motor imagery-based BCI paradigm, we previously found a disinhibition within the primary motor cortex contralateral to the imagined movement, as evidenced by event-related desynchronization (ERD) of oscillatory cortical activity. Yet it is unclear whether this BCI approach does selectively facilitate corticomotor representations targeted by the imagery. To address this question, we used brain state-dependent transcranial magnetic stimulation while participants performed kinesthetic motor imagery of wrist movements with their right hand and received online visual feedback of the ERD. Single and paired-pulse magnetic stimulation were given to the left primary motor cortex at a low or high level of ERD to assess intracortical excitability. While intracortical facilitation showed no modulation by ERD, short-latency intracortical inhibition was reduced the higher the ERD. Intracortical disinhibition was only found in the agonist muscle targeted by motor imagery at high ERD level, but not in the antagonist muscle. Single pulse motor-evoked potential was also increased the higher the ERD. However, at high ERD level, this facilitatory effect on overall corticospinal excitability was not selective to the agonist muscle. Analogous results were found in two independent experiments, in which participants either performed kinesthetic motor imagery of wrist extension or flexion. Our results showed that motor imagery-based BCI can selectively disinhibit the corticomotor output to the agonist muscle, enabling effector-specific training in patients with motor paralysis.
AB - Bridging between brain activity and machine control, brain-computer interface (BCI) can be employed to activate distributed neural circuits implicated in a specific aspect of motor control. Using a motor imagery-based BCI paradigm, we previously found a disinhibition within the primary motor cortex contralateral to the imagined movement, as evidenced by event-related desynchronization (ERD) of oscillatory cortical activity. Yet it is unclear whether this BCI approach does selectively facilitate corticomotor representations targeted by the imagery. To address this question, we used brain state-dependent transcranial magnetic stimulation while participants performed kinesthetic motor imagery of wrist movements with their right hand and received online visual feedback of the ERD. Single and paired-pulse magnetic stimulation were given to the left primary motor cortex at a low or high level of ERD to assess intracortical excitability. While intracortical facilitation showed no modulation by ERD, short-latency intracortical inhibition was reduced the higher the ERD. Intracortical disinhibition was only found in the agonist muscle targeted by motor imagery at high ERD level, but not in the antagonist muscle. Single pulse motor-evoked potential was also increased the higher the ERD. However, at high ERD level, this facilitatory effect on overall corticospinal excitability was not selective to the agonist muscle. Analogous results were found in two independent experiments, in which participants either performed kinesthetic motor imagery of wrist extension or flexion. Our results showed that motor imagery-based BCI can selectively disinhibit the corticomotor output to the agonist muscle, enabling effector-specific training in patients with motor paralysis.
KW - Adult
KW - Brain Waves/physiology
KW - Brain-Computer Interfaces
KW - Electroencephalography/methods
KW - Electroencephalography Phase Synchronization/physiology
KW - Evoked Potentials, Motor/physiology
KW - Feedback, Sensory/physiology
KW - Female
KW - Humans
KW - Imagination/physiology
KW - Male
KW - Motor Activity/physiology
KW - Motor Cortex/physiology
KW - Muscle, Skeletal/physiology
KW - Neural Inhibition/physiology
KW - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation/methods
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.070
DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.08.070
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30172003
SN - 1053-8119
VL - 183
SP - 597
EP - 605
JO - NeuroImage
JF - NeuroImage
ER -