Motor Imagery Training With Neurofeedback From the Frontal Pole Facilitated Sensorimotor Cortical Activity and Improved Hand Dexterity

Abstract

Ota et al. PFC Neurofeedback Improves Hand Dexterity performance improvement rates in the motor rehabilitation task. The results suggest that the aPFC might shape activity in the somatosensory motor-related areas to improve hand dexterity. These findings further suggest that the motor imagery training using neurofeedback signals from the aPFC might be useful to patients with motor disability.

Examination of the Prefrontal Cortex Hemodynamic Responses to the Fist-Edge-Palm Task in Naïve Subjects Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

“…This suggests that the FEP task imposes higher cognitive load on the PFC than the PT task, consistent with higher hemodynamic activity in the first trial of the FEP task. Furthermore, the PFC has been implicated in learning of not only motor behaviors ( Ishikuro et al, 2014 ; Ota et al, 2020 ; present study) but also various cognitive skills ( Konishi et al, 2008 ; Cole et al, 2013 ; Jimura et al, 2014 ). The PFC may be a universal flexible hub to connect modules required for novel tasks ( Cole et al, 2013 ).…”

“…Furthermore, reduction of the performance errors in the FEP task was significantly associated with PFC hemodynamic responses (changes in hemodynamic responses between the first and second FEP trials). A previous study suggested that the PFC shapes synaptic activity in the hand area of the primary motor (MI) cortex so that MI activity is optimal for manual hand actions ( Ota et al, 2020 ). These findings suggest that error reduction in the FEP task between the first and second trials (i.e., behavioral changes due to learning) might be attributed to hemodynamic response changes between the first and second FEP trials.…”

“…These findings suggest that the PFC might be involved in learning of the FEP task through its effects on the motor cortex. Further studies are required to investigate hemodynamic activity in the motor cortex and functional connectivity between the PFC and motor cortex during learning of the FEP task with high density NIRS recording ( Ota et al, 2020 ). On the other hand, performance disturbance in the FEP task has been reported not only in schizophrenia but also in mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease ( Fama and Sullivan, 2002 ; Chan and Gottesman, 2008 ; Weiner et al, 2011 ).…”

“…The recording methods used were essentially similar to our previous fNIRS studies ( Ishikuro et al, 2014 ; Nakamichi et al, 2018 ; Hibi et al, 2020 ; Ota et al, 2020 ). Briefly, the subjects were seated in a chair facing toward a table, and a head cap to fix fNIRS probes (Shimadzu Co. Ltd., Japan) was placed on the head of the subject.…”

“…Thus, the PFC activity may be decreased during fMRI in subjects that have practiced the FEP task before the fMRI ( Chan et al, 2006 ; Rao et al, 2008 ). Furthermore, previous imaging studies using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) reported that PFC hemodynamic activity increased during the learning of hand dexterity tasks ( Ishikuro et al, 2014 ; Ota et al, 2020 ). Therefore, we hypothesized that the PFC hemodynamic activity would increase when naïve subjects undertake the FEP task.…”