Bimanual coordination and spinal cord neuromodulation: how neural substrates of bimanual movements are altered by transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2024 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01395-w · Published: June 6, 2024

Neurology Neurorehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) affects brain activity and movement during unimanual and bimanual tasks. Researchers used EEG to measure brain activity and KINARM exoskeleton to assess arm movements in participants performing reaching tasks with and without tSCS. The findings suggest that tSCS can improve movement accuracy and speed during specific bimanual tasks and modulates brain activity in sensorimotor areas.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

12 neurologically intact participants

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
tSCS improved movement time and error during a bimanual common-goal movement.
2
In the alpha band, spectral power was modulated with tSCS in the direction of synchronization in the primary motor cortex during unimanual and bimanual dual-goal movements.
3
In the beta band, tSCS significantly increased spectral power in the primary motor and somatosensory cortices during the performance of bimanual common-goal and unimanual movements.

Research Summary

This study examined the impact of cervical tSCS on cortical activity and motor performance during unimanual and bimanual arm movements in neurologically intact individuals. The results showed that tSCS improved movement kinematics during a bimanual common-goal task and modulated sensorimotor cortical oscillations. The findings contribute to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying tSCS and its potential for improving upper-limb function in rehabilitation.

Practical Implications

Rehabilitation Design

The findings may guide the design of improved rehabilitation interventions using tSCS for the recovery of upper-limb function.

Bimanual Assessment

Highlights the importance of assessing bimanual impairments and quantifying bimanual performance after SCI/stroke.

Hybrid Rehabilitation

The behavioral improvement can be achieved through hybrid rehabilitation training that consists of bimanual coordination tasks and tSCS.

Study Limitations

1
The study did not evaluate short- or long-term effects on movement performance in the absence of stimulation.
2
Measures such as IHI or SICI were not tested, limiting the understanding of intracortical inhibitory and excitatory interactions.
3
The study was conducted in neurologically intact participants; future studies in persons with neural injury or disease would be beneficial.

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