Relationship between resting-state functional connectivity and change in motor function after motor imagery intervention in patients with stroke: a scoping review.
Kenya Tanamachi, Wataru Kuwahara, Megumi Okawada and 2 others
PMID 37980496WHAT IT FOUND
Across 13 studies, changes in resting-state brain connectivity correlated with motor function improvement after motor imagery or brain-computer interface interventions in stroke patients.
This suggests a neural basis for these treatments but does not prove they cause the recovery.
Key findings
01All 13 included studies reported improved motor function following intervention, with changes in resting-state functional connectivity correlated with this improvement.
02In closed-loop brain-computer interface studies, Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores and other motor measures significantly correlated with increased coupling of theta and gamma frequencies in motor regions.
03In open-loop motor imagery studies, changes in functional connectivity between the ipsilesional inferior parietal lobule and other brain regions were positively correlated with Fugl-Meyer Assessment score improvements.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The quality of evidence from the included studies was not assessed. The review did not account for differences in participant disability type or severity. Intervention protocols varied widely in dosage, duration, and combination with conventional therapy, making it difficult to isolate the specific effect of the motor imagery or BCI component. The studies are correlational; they show that brain connectivity changes happen alongside motor improvement, but do not prove that the connectivity change causes the improvement.
Declared interests
The work was funded by JSPS KAKENHI.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the correlation between brain connectivity changes and motor improvement as proof that motor imagery or BCI interventions caused the recovery. The review included studies where patients also received conventional rehabilitation, and the design is correlational, so it is impossible to separate the effect of the mental practice from the physical therapy or natural recovery.