Neural correlates of bilateral proprioception and adaptation with training

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sensory Physiology
• Motor Control

Background:

• Bilateral proprioception, sensing hand position relative to the other, is crucial for daily tasks but impaired in neurological disorders.
• Experience-dependent plasticity affects proprioception, as seen in musicians, highlighting potential for neurorehabilitation.
• Understanding neural correlates of proprioception can offer targets for treating impaired sensory abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG)-based method to assess neural features of bilateral proprioception.
• To compare neural activity during bilateral proprioception tasks versus movement-only tasks, with and without visual feedback.
• To investigate differences in sensorimotor event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) between skilled musicians and controls.

Main Methods:

• Designed an EEG paradigm to measure neural responses during proprioceptive tasks.
• Compared tasks involving bilateral limb assessment versus simple limb movement, with/without visual cues.
• Analyzed μ (8-12Hz) and low-β (12-18Hz) rhythm suppression in eleven controls and nine skilled musicians.

Main Results:

• Skilled musicians exhibited reduced μ and low-β suppression in bilateral tasks compared to movement-only tasks, differing significantly from controls.
• Proprioceptive errors were not smaller in skilled musicians, suggesting reduced top-down control despite training.
• Target visibility reduced errors in controls but not musicians; controls showed μ and low-β power reversals during visual tasks, unlike musicians.

Conclusions:

• Sensorimotor μ and low-β suppression are potential neuromarkers for assessing proprioceptive ability.
• These neural features can quantify altered proprioceptive processing in skill and movement disorders.
• This research provides a basis for using EEG markers in pre- and post-intervention studies for sensory-motor rehabilitation.