Effects of an Exoskeleton-Assisted Gait Motor Imagery Training in Functional Brain Connectivity

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Robotics
• Rehabilitation Engineering

Background:

• Lower-limb exoskeletons aid gait rehabilitation by restoring motor skills.
• Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can enhance rehabilitation for individuals with walking impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze brain functional connectivity during exoskeleton-assisted gait motor imagery (MI) training.
• To investigate information flow changes in EEG signals with exoskeleton use.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electroencephalography (EEG) to record brain activity.
• Applied Partial Directed Coherence (PDC) analysis to assess information exchange.
• Developed an outflow index to quantify directed connectivities.

Main Results:

• Exoskeleton-assisted gait MI training altered brain functional connectivity patterns.
• An increase in the outflow index was observed in central brain zones (C2, C3, C4).
• A decrease in the outflow index was noted in central-parietal (CP1, CP2) and fronto-central (FC1) zones.

Conclusions:

• Findings provide insights into brain functional connectivity during exoskeleton-assisted gait MI.
• The results can inform the development of informative features for BCI applications.
• This research contributes to advancing motor rehabilitation strategies.