Electroencephalographic Correlates of Glove-stretch Therapy Post-stroke

After experiencing a stroke event, many individuals are left with life-long motor impairments in their upper extremity. However, motor recovery for stroke survivors is not fully understood. One of the challenges to understand the mechanisms behind recovery is the capability of the brain to reorganize and re-activate areas affected by the stroke. Brain computer interface (BCI) has shown promise in previous studies to improve motor capabilities of individuals with damaged nervous systems by reactivating damaged motor pathways.

In order to understand how BCI can be incorporated into upper extremity rehabilitation, investigators must first lay the groundwork of measuring neural activity and its relation to muscle activity in individuals who have experienced a stroke. While instructing participants to open and close their hand, investigators will measure (1) neural activity, called sensorimotor rhythms (SMRs), using a electrophysiological (EEG) cap, and (2) muscle activity using wireless electromyography (EMGs). What the investigators are specifically looking for is an event in the neural activity in between movement initiation and termination called event related desynchronization (ERD). The investigators of this study hypothesize that there is greater activation of ERDs in stroke's subjects SMR activity after completing finger extension and flexion.