title: EEG neural correlates of goal-directed movement intention.
abstract: Using low-frequency time-domain electroencephalographic (EEG) signals we show, for the same type of upper limb movement, that goal-directed movements have different neural correlates than movements without a particular goal. In a reach-and-touch task, we explored the differences in the movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) between goal-directed and non-goal-directed movements. We evaluated if the detection of movement intention was influenced by the goal-directedness of the movement. In a single-trial classification procedure we found that classification accuracies are enhanced if there is a goal-directed movement in mind. Furthermore, by using the classifier patterns and estimating the corresponding brain sources, we show the importance of motor areas and the additional involvement of the posterior parietal lobule in the discrimination between goal-directed movements and non-goal-directed movements. We discuss next the potential contribution of our results on goal-directed movements to a more reliable brain-computer interface (BCI) control that facilitates recovery in spinal-cord injured or stroke end-users.
authors.affiliation: Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ofner
authors.affiliation: Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.affiliation: Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Andreea Ioana
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Sburlea
authors.affiliation: Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria. Electronic address: gernot.mueller@tugraz.at.
authors.forename: Gernot R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Müller-Putz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D062207:Brain-Computer Interfaces; D004569:Electroencephalography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D000066530:Neurological Rehabilitation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain sources; Brain-computer interface (BCI); Electroencephalography (EEG); Goal-directed movement; Low-frequency; Movement-related cortical potential (MRCP)