A Device and Smartphone Application of Visual-Auditory Stimulation: Regulating Gamma Neural Oscillations for Motor Function Recovery After Stroke

Globally, stroke is one of the leading causes to death or disability. Stimulating the brain after stroke has been shown to be effective in promoting function recovery. Our group's previous studies demonstrate that optogenetic stimulation using gamma frequency bands can effectively induce the brain to generate endogenous gamma neural oscillations in stroke mouse model to facilitate motor function recovery. In order to apply this neuromodulation technique into clinical application, noninvasive and nontransgenic method, such as visual or auditory stimulation, should be considered. However, there is a lack of such device or smart phone application to generate gamma frequency stimulation in treating stroke patients easily and economically. In this paper, we introduce a visual-auditory stimulation rehabilitation device operated via an Arduino UNO board and a smart phone application developed in Android Studio. This innovation successfully induces gamma neural oscillations, thus modulating neural activity and enhancing functionalities impaired by stroke. This device provides a new rehabilitation mode for noninvasive neuromodulation. Future research should delve deeper into the mechanisms of visual-auditory stimulation in the field of neurorehabilitation.