Brain-computer interface as complementary therapy for hemiparesis in an astrocytoma patient

Excerpt

Astrocytoma is one of the most common brain tumors in adults. Surgery is the main treatment, however, hemiparesis and decreased cortical activations in primary motor areas are common after astrocytoma resection in the frontal lobe [1]. Hence, a possible complementary therapy for hemiparesis in these patients are Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), which allow to decode user’s intentions from the central nervous system in order to control an external device, such as a robotic orthosis. It has been hypothesized that BCI interventions can enhance neuroplasticity and elicit motor recovery, with clinical trials mainly aimed at stroke. However, a BCI complementary intervention for hemiparesis treatment in astrocytoma patients has not been reported and could bring further insights on the role of BCI in unassessed neurorehabilitation scenarios. …