Correlates Between EEG Microstates and Clinical Characteristics of People With Stroke

Stroke has been considered one of the main causes of long-term disability in the adult population, and is no longer considered a disease of the elderly, since 2/3 of all strokes occur among people under 70 years of age. According to the Ministry of Health, stroke is responsible for 40% of early retirements, being one of the most important causes of mortality in Brazil. Stroke usually causes long-term deficits such as asymmetrical muscle weakness between limbs, impaired proprioceptive ability, sensory loss, vision problems, and spasticity. In addition, these sensorimotor deficits interfere with various functions of the lower limbs, including balance, postural control, and gait ability, affecting their quality of life. The electroencephalogram (EEG) has been shown to be a very useful tool in the study of functional status and for the diagnosis of brain damage and disorders. It is considered a simple, non-invasive test with high temporal resolution, being a method widely used in laboratories to non-invasively monitor brain activity. Microstates reflect short periods (~100 ms) of nearly stable brain states evolving over time, resulting from the synchronous and coordinated activity of brain networks. The aim of this study is to observe whether EEG microstates have correlations with clinical characteristics of people with stroke.