Intervention-induced changes in neural connectivity during motor preparation may affect cortical activity at motor execution

Kevin B. Wilkins, Julius P.A. Dewald, Jun Yao*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Effective interventions have demonstrated the ability to improve motor function by reengaging ipsilesional resources, which appears to be critical and feasible for hand function recovery even in individuals with severe chronic stroke. However, previous studies focus on changes in brain activity related to motor execution. How changes in motor preparation may facilitate these changes at motor execution is still unclear. To address this question, 8 individuals with severe chronic hemiparetic stroke participated in a device-assisted intervention for seven weeks. We then quantified changes in both coupling between regions during motor preparation and changes in topographical cortical activity at motor execution for both hand opening in isolation and together with the shoulder using high-density EEG. We hypothesized that intervention-induced changes in cortico-cortico interactions during motor preparation would lead to changes in activity at motor execution specifically towards an increased reliance on the ipsilesional hemisphere. In agreement with this hypothesis, we found that, following the intervention, individuals displayed a reduction in coupling from ipsilesional M1 to contralesional M1 within gamma frequencies during motor preparation for hand opening. This was followed by a reduction in activity in the contralesional primary sensorimotor cortex during motor execution. Similarly, during lifting and opening, a shift to negative coupling within ipsilesional M1 from gamma to beta frequencies was accompanied by an increase in ipsilesional primary sensorimotor cortex activity following the intervention. Together, these results show that intervention-induced changes in coupling within or between motor regions during motor preparation may affect cortical activity at execution.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number7326
JournalScientific reports
Volume10
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2020

Funding

The authors want to acknowledge Justin Drogos and Carolina Carmona for assistance with the intervention and Dr. Meriel Owen for MRI collection. This work was supported by an HHS grant 90IF0090–01–00 (formerly DOE NIDRR H133G120287), a NINDS R01NS105759 grant, a NICHD 2RO1H-D039343 grant, a NICHD 1RO1HD095187 grant, and an award from the American Heart Association co-funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation 18PRE34030432.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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