Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke

Abstract Background Fine tactile sensation plays an important role in motor relearning after stroke. However, little is known about its dynamics in post-stroke recovery, principally due to a lack of effective evaluation on neural responses to fine tactile stimulation. This study investigated the pos...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sa Zhou, Yanhuan Huang, Jiao Jiao, Junyan Hu, Chihchia Hsing, Zhangqi Lai, Yang Yang, Xiaoling Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2021-02-01
Series:Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-021-00821-7
_version_ 1818414393077006336
author Sa Zhou
Yanhuan Huang
Jiao Jiao
Junyan Hu
Chihchia Hsing
Zhangqi Lai
Yang Yang
Xiaoling Hu
author_facet Sa Zhou
Yanhuan Huang
Jiao Jiao
Junyan Hu
Chihchia Hsing
Zhangqi Lai
Yang Yang
Xiaoling Hu
author_sort Sa Zhou
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Fine tactile sensation plays an important role in motor relearning after stroke. However, little is known about its dynamics in post-stroke recovery, principally due to a lack of effective evaluation on neural responses to fine tactile stimulation. This study investigated the post-stroke alteration of cortical connectivity and its functional structure in response to fine tactile stimulation via textile fabrics by electroencephalogram (EEG)-derived functional connectivity and graph theory analyses. Method Whole brain EEG was recorded from 64 scalp channels in 8 participants with chronic stroke and 8 unimpaired controls before and during the skin of the unilateral forearm contacted with a piece of cotton fabric. Functional connectivity (FC) was then estimated using EEG coherence. The fabric stimulation induced FC (SFC) was analyzed by a cluster-based permutation test for the FC in baseline and fabric stimulation. The functional structure of connectivity alteration in the brain was also investigated by assessing the multiscale topological properties of functional brain networks according to the graph theory. Results In the SFC distribution, an altered hemispheric lateralization (HL) (HL degree, 14%) was observed when stimulating the affected forearm in the stroke group, compared to stimulation of the unaffected forearm of the stroke group (HL degree, 53%) and those of the control group (HL degrees, 92% for the left and 69% for the dominant right limb). The involvement of additional brain regions, i.e., the distributed attention networks, was also observed when stimulating either limb of the stroke group compared with those of the control. Significantly increased (P < 0.05) global and local efficiencies were found when stimulating the affected forearm compared to the unaffected forearm. A significantly increased (P < 0.05) degree of inter-hemisphere FC (interdegree) mainly within ipsilesional somatosensory region and a significantly diminished degree of intra-hemisphere FC (intradegree) (P < 0.05) in ipsilesional primary somatosensory region were observed when stimulating the affected forearm, compared with the unaffected forearm. Conclusions The alteration of cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation post-stroke was characterized by the compensation from the contralesional hemisphere and distributed attention networks related to involuntary attention. The interhemispheric connectivity could implement the compensation from the contralateral hemisphere to the ipsilesional somatosensory region. Stroke participants also exerted increased cortical activities in fine tactile sensation.
first_indexed 2024-12-14T11:18:23Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c3b4c25f09f044478abc4e6aa6f9c96b
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1743-0003
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-14T11:18:23Z
publishDate 2021-02-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
spelling doaj.art-c3b4c25f09f044478abc4e6aa6f9c96b2022-12-21T23:03:55ZengBMCJournal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation1743-00032021-02-0118111810.1186/s12984-021-00821-7Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after strokeSa Zhou0Yanhuan Huang1Jiao Jiao2Junyan Hu3Chihchia Hsing4Zhangqi Lai5Yang Yang6Xiaoling Hu7Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityInstitute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityInstitute of Textiles and Clothing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityAbstract Background Fine tactile sensation plays an important role in motor relearning after stroke. However, little is known about its dynamics in post-stroke recovery, principally due to a lack of effective evaluation on neural responses to fine tactile stimulation. This study investigated the post-stroke alteration of cortical connectivity and its functional structure in response to fine tactile stimulation via textile fabrics by electroencephalogram (EEG)-derived functional connectivity and graph theory analyses. Method Whole brain EEG was recorded from 64 scalp channels in 8 participants with chronic stroke and 8 unimpaired controls before and during the skin of the unilateral forearm contacted with a piece of cotton fabric. Functional connectivity (FC) was then estimated using EEG coherence. The fabric stimulation induced FC (SFC) was analyzed by a cluster-based permutation test for the FC in baseline and fabric stimulation. The functional structure of connectivity alteration in the brain was also investigated by assessing the multiscale topological properties of functional brain networks according to the graph theory. Results In the SFC distribution, an altered hemispheric lateralization (HL) (HL degree, 14%) was observed when stimulating the affected forearm in the stroke group, compared to stimulation of the unaffected forearm of the stroke group (HL degree, 53%) and those of the control group (HL degrees, 92% for the left and 69% for the dominant right limb). The involvement of additional brain regions, i.e., the distributed attention networks, was also observed when stimulating either limb of the stroke group compared with those of the control. Significantly increased (P < 0.05) global and local efficiencies were found when stimulating the affected forearm compared to the unaffected forearm. A significantly increased (P < 0.05) degree of inter-hemisphere FC (interdegree) mainly within ipsilesional somatosensory region and a significantly diminished degree of intra-hemisphere FC (intradegree) (P < 0.05) in ipsilesional primary somatosensory region were observed when stimulating the affected forearm, compared with the unaffected forearm. Conclusions The alteration of cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation post-stroke was characterized by the compensation from the contralesional hemisphere and distributed attention networks related to involuntary attention. The interhemispheric connectivity could implement the compensation from the contralateral hemisphere to the ipsilesional somatosensory region. Stroke participants also exerted increased cortical activities in fine tactile sensation.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-021-00821-7StrokeSensory impairmentFine tactile sensationFunctional connectivityFunctional brain network
spellingShingle Sa Zhou
Yanhuan Huang
Jiao Jiao
Junyan Hu
Chihchia Hsing
Zhangqi Lai
Yang Yang
Xiaoling Hu
Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
Stroke
Sensory impairment
Fine tactile sensation
Functional connectivity
Functional brain network
title Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
title_full Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
title_fullStr Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
title_full_unstemmed Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
title_short Impairments of cortico-cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
title_sort impairments of cortico cortical connectivity in fine tactile sensation after stroke
topic Stroke
Sensory impairment
Fine tactile sensation
Functional connectivity
Functional brain network
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-021-00821-7
work_keys_str_mv AT sazhou impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT yanhuanhuang impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT jiaojiao impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT junyanhu impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT chihchiahsing impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT zhangqilai impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT yangyang impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke
AT xiaolinghu impairmentsofcorticocorticalconnectivityinfinetactilesensationafterstroke