Towards machine to brain interfaces: sensory stimulation enhances sensorimotor dynamic functional connectivity in...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Sensory stimulation can induce phantom sensations in upper limb amputees.
• Cortical processing and sensorimotor functional connectivity changes due to this stimulation remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of sensory stimulation on sensorimotor cortical functional connectivity in amputees.
• To analyze dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) using electroencephalogram (EEG) data.

Main Methods:

• EEG data from two upper limb amputees and three able-bodied individuals were analyzed.
• Dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) was applied to assess interactions between somatosensory, motor, visual, and multisensory cortical areas.
• Changes were quantified using metrics like temporal distance, number of connection paths, and network efficiencies.

Main Results:

• Sensory stimulation significantly altered functional connectivity in amputee brains, enhancing multisensory processing.
• dFC metrics indicated faster information transfer and increased connectivity between sensorimotor processing regions.
• These effects were observed in primary somatosensory, motor, and higher-order processing areas.

Conclusions:

• This is the first study to demonstrate dynamic cortical communication changes in amputees following sensory stimulation.
• Findings offer insights into the cortical effects of sensory stimulation, potentially guiding personalized feedback paradigms.
• The research may inform the development of novel brain-computer interfaces for enhanced motor performance.