TY - JOUR
T1 - Proof of principle of a brain-computer interface approach to support poststroke arm rehabilitation in hospitalized patients
T2 - Design, acceptability, and usability
AU - Morone, Giovanni
AU - Pisotta, Iolanda
AU - Pichiorri, Floriana
AU - Kleih, Sonja
AU - Paolucci, Stefano
AU - Molinari, Marco
AU - Cincotti, Febo
AU - Kübler, Andrea
AU - Mattia, Donatella
PY - 2015/3/1
Y1 - 2015/3/1
N2 - Objective To evaluate the feasibility of brain-computer interface (BCI)-assisted motor imagery training to support hand/arm motor rehabilitation after stroke during hospitalization. Design Proof-of-principle study. Setting Neurorehabilitation hospital. Participants Convenience sample of patients (N=8) with new-onset arm plegia or paresis caused by unilateral stroke. Interventions The BCI-based intervention was administered as an "add-on" to usual care and lasted 4 weeks. Under the supervision of a therapist, patients were asked to practice motor imagery of their affected hand and received as a discrete feedback the movements of a "virtual" hand superimposed on their own. Such a BCI-based device was installed in a rehabilitation hospital ward. Main Outcome Measures Following a user-centered design, we assessed system usability in terms of motivation, satisfaction (by means of visual analog scales), and workload (National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index). The usability of the BCI-based system was also evaluated by 15 therapists who participated in a focus group. Results All patients successfully accomplished the BCI training. Significant positive correlations were found between satisfaction and motivation (P=.001, r=.393). BCI performance correlated with interest (P=.027, r=.257) and motivation (P=.012, r=.289). During the focus group, professionals positively acknowledged the opportunity offered by BCI-assisted training to measure patients' adherence to rehabilitation. Conclusions An ecological BCI-based device to assist motor imagery practice was found to be feasible as an add-on intervention and tolerable by patients who were exposed to the system in the rehabilitation environment.
AB - Objective To evaluate the feasibility of brain-computer interface (BCI)-assisted motor imagery training to support hand/arm motor rehabilitation after stroke during hospitalization. Design Proof-of-principle study. Setting Neurorehabilitation hospital. Participants Convenience sample of patients (N=8) with new-onset arm plegia or paresis caused by unilateral stroke. Interventions The BCI-based intervention was administered as an "add-on" to usual care and lasted 4 weeks. Under the supervision of a therapist, patients were asked to practice motor imagery of their affected hand and received as a discrete feedback the movements of a "virtual" hand superimposed on their own. Such a BCI-based device was installed in a rehabilitation hospital ward. Main Outcome Measures Following a user-centered design, we assessed system usability in terms of motivation, satisfaction (by means of visual analog scales), and workload (National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index). The usability of the BCI-based system was also evaluated by 15 therapists who participated in a focus group. Results All patients successfully accomplished the BCI training. Significant positive correlations were found between satisfaction and motivation (P=.001, r=.393). BCI performance correlated with interest (P=.027, r=.257) and motivation (P=.012, r=.289). During the focus group, professionals positively acknowledged the opportunity offered by BCI-assisted training to measure patients' adherence to rehabilitation. Conclusions An ecological BCI-based device to assist motor imagery practice was found to be feasible as an add-on intervention and tolerable by patients who were exposed to the system in the rehabilitation environment.
KW - Brain-computer interfaces
KW - Rehabilitation
KW - Stroke
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84923360445&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84923360445&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.05.026
DO - 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.05.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 25721550
AN - SCOPUS:84923360445
VL - 96
SP - S71-S78
JO - Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
JF - Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
SN - 0003-9993
IS - 3
ER -