Neural correlation between swallowing motor imagery and execution: an EEG analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Clinical Neurophysiology

Background:

• The physiological basis for using swallowing motor imagery (MI) in brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms for rehabilitation is not well understood.
• Clarifying the relationship between swallowing execution and MI is crucial for optimizing BCI applications for patients with dysphagia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural dynamics and physiological similarities between swallowing motor imagery and actual swallowing execution.
• To provide a stronger physiological foundation for the use of swallowing MI-based BCIs in dysphagia rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Thirty healthy participants underwent electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) recordings during swallowing MI and saliva swallowing tasks.
• Analysis included EMG-based onset detection, EEG time-frequency analysis, functional connectivity, and sample entropy (SampEn) to explore neural dynamics.

Main Results:

• Both swallowing MI and execution demonstrated event-related desynchronization (ERD) in central and parietal regions, with a weak but significant correlation.
• ERD during MI resembled the pharyngeal stage of swallowing more closely than other stages.
• Functional connectivity showed greater central region activation during MI, while motor execution exhibited higher signal complexity (SampEn).

Conclusions:

• Swallowing imagery and execution share significant neural activation similarities, particularly in central and parietal brain regions.
• These findings support the use of swallowing imagery paradigms within these regions for BCI-based rehabilitation strategies.
• Further research is needed to refine BCI applications for swallowing disorders based on these insights.