Dynamic Neural Mechanisms Underlying Sustained Motor Training Post-Stroke: An fNIRS Investigation Employing...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Stroke-induced upper limb motor dysfunction often stems from disrupted inter-cortical communication in motor areas.
• Temporal analysis of brain activity provides a more accurate assessment of cortical function in stroke patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dynamic changes in cortical activity during motor tasks in stroke patients using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
• To correlate these dynamic brain activity patterns with upper limb motor function recovery.

Main Methods:

• fNIRS was used to record hemodynamic responses in 20 stroke patients and 19 healthy controls during rest and a Baduanjin task.
• Analysis included calculating the coefficient of variation of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) and extracting dynamic state metrics.

Main Results:

• Stroke patients demonstrated reduced fALFF variability in motor-associated cortical regions during the task.
• Patients exhibited a higher prevalence of low-intensity brain states and a lower prevalence of high-intensity states.
• These dynamic state characteristics were significantly correlated with Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) scores.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic brain activity patterns, particularly fALFF variability and state prevalence, offer a novel time-domain perspective on motor dysfunction post-stroke.
• These findings suggest potential biomarkers for assessing motor recovery and developing targeted rehabilitation strategies.