CAMBA framework: Unveiling the brain asymmetry alterations and longitudinal changes after stroke using resting-state...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Brain Imaging
• Systems Neuroscience

Background:

• Hemispheric asymmetry (lateralization) is key to brain organization, but its role in health and disease remains unclear.
• Understanding how brain asymmetries change across different functional levels and in disease states is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a novel framework for analyzing brain asymmetry dynamics across multiple interaction levels.
• To investigate stroke-induced alterations in brain asymmetry and track changes during rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• A unified analysis pipeline integrating isolated nodes, node-node, and edge-edge interactions was developed.
• Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) data from healthy and stroke populations were analyzed using sliding window-based asymmetry dynamics.
• Changes in asymmetry were tracked longitudinally during post-stroke rehabilitation, including brain-computer interface interventions.

Main Results:

• Stroke patients exhibited abnormally enhanced mean asymmetry across frequency bands and interaction levels, correlated with lesion side.
• Patients showed disrupted asymmetry fluctuations, altering inter-hemispheric integration and segregation compared to controls.
• Rehabilitation led to some normalization of abnormal asymmetry metrics, and baseline features predicted recovery.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework provides a comprehensive view of brain asymmetry dynamics and its alterations in stroke.
• Findings offer insights into stroke-related brain changes, recovery mechanisms, and potential prognostic biomarkers.
• The framework is adaptable for various functional modalities and aids in understanding hemispheric specialization in health and disease.