The Impact of Afferent Periphery Stimulation on the mu-rhythm ERD During the Motor Imagery

In this work, the EEG mu-rhythm desynchronization was studied during motor imagery (MI) combined with functional electrical stimulation (FES) of an imaginary hand. The aim of the study is to estimate the effect of (FES) on mu-rhythm event related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERDS) patterns during and after motor imagery. The study involved 13 healthy participants, which were asked to imagine the right hand grasping while EEG was recorded. Evaluation of the cortical activation was performed by mu-rhythm ERD/ERDS estimation. ERD/ERDS was assessed in experimental conditions before, during and after FES. Statistically significant changes (Friedman test) in the central mu-rhythm ERD during MI+FES comparing “before” condition was obtained. Our results suggest a direct effect of the peripheral electric stimulation on the cortical activation level, which is especially expressed in combination with the motor imagery.