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Sensorimotor Rhythm BCI with Simultaneous High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Alters Task
Bryan S Baxter1, Bradley J Edelman1, Nicholas Nesbitt1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Brain Stimulation
|August 15, 2016
Summary
High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improved motor imagery brain-computer interface (BCI) performance by reducing time-to-hit. Unilateral tDCS over the sensorimotor cortex showed differential effects on neural activation during BCI tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Motor Control
Background:
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability, enhancing motor learning.
- Motor imagery, imagining movement without execution, is key for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs).
- Mastering BCIs for motor imagery requires extensive training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess high-definition tDCS effects on motor imagery BCI performance.
- To investigate the electrophysiological changes associated with tDCS during BCI use.
- To determine if tDCS can shorten BCI training times.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-definition tDCS applied to the sensorimotor cortex.
- Investigated tDCS effects on BCI performance within and across multiple training sessions.
- Analyzed electrophysiological data during online BCI task performance.
Main Results:
- Anodal tDCS decreased time-to-hit in BCI tasks within and across sessions.
- Electrophysiological changes in the sensorimotor cortex varied for left vs. right hand imagery.
- Cathodal tDCS reduced alpha and beta band power during right-hand imagery tasks.
Conclusions:
- Unilateral tDCS over the sensorimotor cortex can enhance motor imagery BCI performance.
- tDCS differentially impacts cortical activity based on task-specific neural activation.
- These findings suggest tDCS as a potential tool to accelerate BCI proficiency.
