Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neurorehabilitation
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1394424
This article is part of the Research Topic Application of Brain-Computer Interface, Robot, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation View all 4 articles

Effects of motor imagery-based brain-computer interface-controlled electrical stimulation on lower limb function in hemiplegic patients in the acute phase of stroke: a randomized controlled study

Provisionally accepted
  • Affiliated Hospital of Panzhihua University, Panzhihua, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Lower limb motor dysfunction is one of the most serious consequences of stroke; however, there is insufficient evidence for optimal rehabilitation strategies. Improving lower limb motor function through effective rehabilitation strategies is a top priority for stroke patients. Neuroplasticity is a key factor in the recovery of motor function.The extent to which neuroplasticity-based rehabilitation therapy using brain-computer interface (BCI) is effective in treating lower limb motor dysfunction in acute ischemic stroke patients has not been extensively investigated.Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of BCI rehabilitation on lower limb motor dysfunction in individuals with acute ischemic stroke by evaluating motor function, walking ability, and daily living activities.This study was conducted in a randomized controlled trial, involving 64 patients with acute ischemic stroke who experienced lower limb motor dysfunction. All patients were divided into two groups, with 32 patients assigned to the control group was given conventional rehabilitation once a day for 70 minutes, 5 times a week for 2 weeks, and the experimental group (n=32) was given BCI rehabilitation on top of the conventional rehabilitation for 1 hour a day, 30 minutes of therapy in the morning and an additional 30 minutes in the afternoon, for a total of 20 sessions over a two-week period. The primary outcome was lower extremity motor function, which was assessed using the lower extremity portion of the Fugl-Meyer Rating Scale (FMA-LE), and the secondary endpoints were the Functional Ambulation Scale (FAC), and the Modified Barthel index (MBI).Results: After 20 sessions of treatment, both groups improved in motor function, walking function, and activities of daily living, and the improvements in FMA-LE scores (P < 0.001), FAC (P = 0.031), and MBI (P < 0.001) were more pronounced in the experimental group compared with the control group.Conclusion: Conventional rehabilitation therapy combined with BCI rehabilitation therapy can improve the lower limb motor function of hemiplegic patients with stroke, enhance the patient's ability to perform activities of daily living, and promote the improvement of walking function, this is an effective rehabilitation policy to promote recovery from lower extremity motor function disorders.

    Keywords: Brain-computer interface, Acute ischemic stroke, rehabilitative care, Lower extremity motor dysfunction, BCI

    Received: 01 Mar 2024; Accepted: 23 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Luo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Xi Luo, Affiliated Hospital of Panzhihua University, Panzhihua, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.