title: Modulation of event-related desynchronization in robot-assisted hand performance: brain oscillatory changes in active, passive and imagined movements.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Robot-assisted therapy in patients with neurological disease is an attempt to improve function in a moderate to severe hemiparetic arm. A better understanding of cortical modifications after robot-assisted training could aid in refining rehabilitation therapy protocols for stroke patients. Modifications of cortical activity in healthy subjects were evaluated during voluntary active movement, passive robot-assisted motor movement, and motor imagery tasks performed under unimanual and bimanual protocols.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one channel electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded with a video EEG system in 8 subjects. The subjects performed robot-assisted tasks using the Bi-Manu Track robot-assisted arm trainer. The motor paradigm was executed during one-day experimental sessions under eleven unimanual and bimanual protocols of active, passive and imaged movements. The event-related-synchronization/desynchronization (ERS/ERD) approach to the EEG data was applied to investigate where movement-related decreases in alpha and beta power were localized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Voluntary active unilateral hand movement was observed to significantly activate the contralateral side; however, bilateral activation was noted in all subjects on both the unilateral and bilateral active tasks, as well as desynchronization of alpha and beta brain oscillations during the passive robot-assisted motor tasks. During active-passive movement when the right hand drove the left one, there was predominant activation in the contralateral side. Conversely, when the left hand drove the right one, activation was bilateral, especially in the alpha range. Finally, significant contralateral EEG desynchronization was observed during the unilateral task and bilateral ERD during the bimanual task.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests new perspectives for the assessment of patients with neurological disease. The findings may be relevant for defining a baseline for future studies investigating the neural correlates of behavioral changes after robot-assisted training in stroke patients.
authors: Department of Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo, Venice, Italy. emanuela.formaggio@univr.it
authors: Emanuela
authors: E
authors: Formaggio
authors: Silvia Francesca
authors: SF
authors: Storti
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Boscolo Galazzo
authors: Marialuisa
authors: M
authors: Gandolfi
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Geroin
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Smania
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Spezia
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Waldner
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Fiaschi
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Manganotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology; D001611:Beta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003344:Cortical Synchronization; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012371:Robotics