Tasked-Based Functional Brain Connectivity in Multisensory Control of Wrist Movement After Stroke

Abstract

In this study we documented brain connectivity associated with multisensory integration during wrist control in healthy young adults, aged matched controls and stroke survivors. A novel functional MRI task paradigm involving wrist movement was developed to gain insight into the effects of multimodal sensory feedback on brain functional networks in stroke participants. This paradigm consisted of an intermittent position search task using the wrist during fMRI signal acquisition with visual and auditory feedback of proximity to a target position. We enrolled 12 young adults, 10 participants with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis, and nine age-matched controls. Activation maps were obtained, and functional connectivity networks were calculated using an independent component analysis (ICA) approach. Task-based networks were identified using activation maps, and nodes were obtained from the ICA components. These nodes were subsequently used for connectivity analyses. Stroke participants demonstrated significantly greater contralesional activation than controls during the visual feedback condition and less ipsilesional activity than controls during the auditory feedback condition. The sensorimotor component obtained from the ICA differed between rest and task for control and stroke participants: task-related lateralization to the contralateral cortex was observed in controls, but not in stroke participants. Connectivity analyses between the lesioned sensorimotor cortex and the contralesional cerebellum demonstrated decreased functional connectivity in stroke participants (p < 0.005), which was positively correlated the Box and Blocks arm function test (r 2 = 0.59). These results suggest that task-based functional connectivity provides detail on changes in brain networks in stroke survivors. The data also highlight the importance of cerebellar connections for recovery of arm function after stroke.

Motor network reorganization after motor imagery training in stroke patients with moderate to severe upper limb impairment

“…Simple task‐related brain activity is frequently more intensive and with a broader range of activation in stroke patients than in healthy controls, while more complex tasks usually involve lower levels of cortical activity 29 . The observed phenomenon has been associated with disturbed sensorimotor integrative networks of the brain affected by stroke lesions; the former derives from compensatory activation, while the latter is probably related to the need for more connections between integrative sensorimotor regions that are dysfunctional after stroke 30 . Unlike most task‐based fMRI studies focusing on local brain activation, FC analysis of task‐based fMRI data allows for the assessment of relationships of brain activities across brain areas 31 …”

“…29 The observed phenomenon has been associated with disturbed sensorimotor integrative networks of the brain affected by stroke lesions; the former derives from compensatory activation, while the latter is probably related to the need for more connections between integrative sensorimotor regions that are dysfunctional after stroke. 30 Unlike most task-based fMRI studies focusing on local brain activation, FC analysis of task-based fMRI data allows for the assessment of relationships of brain activities across brain areas. 31 To deepen our understanding of the neural mechanism of MIT in stroke patients with poor motor function, we recruited patients with moderate to severe upper limb impairment and adopted a passive hand movement task for fMRI scanning.…”

Two-step clustering-based pipeline for big dynamic functional network connectivity data

“…Functional connectivity (FC) or its network analog functional network connectivity (FNC) studies the temporal dependence (typically assessed with correlation) between the BOLD fMRI signal from different brain regions ( van den Heuvel and Hulshoff Pol, 2010 ). The FNC approach uses temporal dependence to infer how various brain networks communicate and may play a significant role in understanding how large-scale neuronal communication in the human brain relates to human behavior ( Kalinosky et al, 2019 ; Cook et al, 2020 ) and how neurodegenerative diseases alter this relationship ( Wang et al, 2019 ; Yan et al, 2019 ; Hummer et al, 2020 ; Quevenco et al, 2020 ; Vega et al, 2020 ).…”

Using brain functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with mirror therapy on upper limb function in patients with cerebral ischemic stroke: a study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial

“…Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, a noninvasive imaging technique with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution, is frequently used to study brain functional connectivities [6] and can monitor the progress of cortical functional remolding in stroke patients [7][8][9]. Because it can accurately determine whether the brain function in the motor areas disappears or shifts and whether there is reconstruction of the brain functional areas around the lesion [10], the technique can guide clinical rehabilitation and prognosis of patients.…”