SSVEP-Based Brain Computer Interface Controlled Soft Robotic Glove for Post-Stroke Hand Function Rehabilitation.

Journal: IEEE Transactions On Neural Systems And Rehabilitation Engineering : A Publication Of The IEEE Engineering In Medicine And Biology Society
Published:
Abstract

Soft robotic glove with brain computer interfaces (BCI) control has been used for post-stroke hand function rehabilitation. Motor imagery (MI) based BCI with robotic aided devices has been demonstrated as an effective neural rehabilitation tool to improve post-stroke hand function. It is necessary for a user of MI-BCI to receive a long time training, while the user usually suffers unsuccessful and unsatisfying results in the beginning. To propose another non-invasive BCI paradigm rather than MI-BCI, steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) based BCI was proposed as user intension detection to trigger the soft robotic glove for post-stroke hand function rehabilitation. Thirty post-stroke patients with impaired hand function were randomly and equally divided into three groups to receive conventional, robotic, and BCI-robotic therapy in this randomized control trial (RCT). Clinical assessment of Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment of Upper Limb (FMA-UL), Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) were performed at pre-training, post-training and three months follow-up. In comparing to other groups, The BCI-robotic group showed significant improvement after training in FMA full score (10.05 ± 8.03, p = 0.001), FMA shoulder/elbow (6.2 ± 5.94, p = 0.0004) and FMA wrist/hand (4.3 ± 2.83, p = 0.007), and WMFT (5.1 ± 5.53, p = 0.037). The improvement of FMA was significantly correlated with BCI accuracy (r = 0.714, p = 0.032). Recovery of hand function after rehabilitation of SSVEP-BCI controlled soft robotic glove showed better result than solely robotic glove rehabilitation, equivalent efficacy as results from previous reported MI-BCI robotic hand rehabilitation. It proved the feasibility of SSVEP-BCI controlled soft robotic glove in post-stroke hand function rehabilitation.

Authors
Ning Guo, Xiaojun Wang, Dehao Duanmu, Xin Huang, Xiaodong Li, Yunli Fan, Hailan Li, Yongquan Liu, Eric Hiu Yeung, Michael Kai To, Jianxiong Gu, Feng Wan, Yong Hu
Relevant Conditions

Stroke