title: The cortical activation pattern by a rehabilitation robotic hand: a functional NIRS study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clarification of the relationship between external stimuli and brain response has been an important topic in neuroscience and brain rehabilitation. In the current study, using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we attempted to investigate cortical activation patterns generated during execution of a rehabilitation robotic hand.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten normal subjects were recruited for this study. Passive movements of the right fingers were performed using a rehabilitation robotic hand at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. We measured values of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO), deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) and total-hemoglobin (HbT) in five regions of interest: the primary sensory-motor cortex (SM1), hand somatotopy of the contralateral SM1, supplementary motor area (SMA), premotor cortex (PMC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  HbO and HbT values indicated significant activation in the left SM1, left SMA, left PMC, and left PFC during execution of the rehabilitation robotic hand (uncorrected, p < 0.01). By contrast, HbR value indicated significant activation only in the hand somatotopic area of the left SM1 (uncorrected, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results appear to indicate that execution of the rehabilitation robotic hand could induce cortical activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Robotics Engineering, Graduate School, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Pyung-Hun
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Robotics Engineering, Graduate School, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School, Korea Advance Institute of Science and Technology Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Gwang Min
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Robotics Research Division, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Robotics Research Division, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Seok
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Pyo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University Taegu, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
keywords: brain plasticity; cortical activation; functional NIRS; rehabilitation; robot