Multimodal recording using electroencephalogram (EEG) and other biological signals (e.g., electromyograms, eye movement, pupil information, or limb kinematics) is ubiquitous in human neuroscience research. However, the precise time alignment of data from heterogeneous sources is limited due to variable recording parameters of commercially available research devices and experimental setups. Here, we introduced the versatility of a Lab Streaming Layer (LSL)-based application for multimodal recordings of high-density EEG and other devices such as eye trackers or hand kinematics. To introduce the benefit of recording multiple devices in a time-synchronized manner, we discuss two common issues in measuring multimodal data: jitter and latency. The LSL-based system can be used for research on precise time-alignment of datasets, such as detecting stimulus-induced transient neural responses and testing hypotheses well-formulated in time by leveraging the millisecond time resolution of the system.
Human behavior requires interregional crosstalk to employ the sensorimotor processes in the brain. Although external neuromodulation techniques have been used to manipulate interhemispheric sensorimotor activity, a central controversy concerns whether this activity can be volitionally controlled. Experimental tools lack the power to up- or down-regulate the state of the targeted hemisphere over a large dynamic range and, therefore, cannot evaluate the possible volitional control of the activity. We addressed this difficulty by using the recently developed method of spatially bivariate electroencephalography (EEG)-neurofeedback to systematically enable the participants to modulate their bilateral sensorimotor activities. Herein, we report that participants learn to up- and down-regulate the ipsilateral excitability to the imagined hand while maintaining constant the contralateral excitability; this modulates the magnitude of interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) assessed by the paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigm. Further physiological analyses revealed that the manipulation capability of IHI magnitude reflected interhemispheric connectivity in EEG and TMS, which was accompanied by intrinsic bilateral cortical oscillatory activities. Our results show an interesting approach for neuromodulation, which might identify new treatment opportunities, for example, in patients suffering from a stroke.
Human behavior requires interregional crosstalk to employ the sensorimotor processes in the brain. Although some external neuromodulation tools have been used to manipulate interhemispheric sensorimotor activity, a central controversy concerns whether this activity can be volitionally controlled. Experimental tools lack the power to up- or down-regulate the state of the targeted hemisphere over a large dynamic range and, therefore, cannot evaluate the possible volitional control of the activity. We overcame this difficulty by using the recently developed method of spatially bivariate electroencephalography (EEG)-neurofeedback to systematically enable participants to manipulate their bilateral sensorimotor activities. Herein, we report that bi-directional changes in ipsilateral excitability to the imagined hand (conditioning hemisphere) affect interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) assessed by paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation paradigm. In addition, participants were able to robustly manipulate the IHI magnitudes. Further physiological analyses revealed that the self-manipulation of IHI magnitude reflected interhemispheric connectivity in EEG and TMS, which was accompanied by intrinsic bilateral cortical oscillatory activities. Our results provide clear neuroscientific evidence regarding the inhibitory interhemispheric sensorimotor activity and IHI manipulator, thereby challenging the current theoretical concept of recovery of motor function for neurorehabilitation.
Human behavior is not performed completely as desired, but is influenced by the inherent rhythmicity of the brain. Here we show that anti-phase bimanual coordination stability is regulated by the dynamics of pre-movement neural oscillations in bi-hemispheric primary motor cortices (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA). In experiment 1, pre-movement bi-hemispheric M1 phase synchrony in beta-band (M1-M1 phase synchrony) was online estimated from 129-channel scalp electroencephalograms. Anti-phase bimanual tapping preceded by lower M1-M1 phase synchrony exhibited significantly longer duration than tapping preceded by higher M1-M1 phase synchrony. Further, the inter-individual variability of duration was explained by the interaction of pre-movement activities within the motor network; lower M1-M1 phase synchrony and spectral power at SMA were associated with longer duration. The necessity of cortical interaction for anti-phase maintenance was revealed by sham-controlled repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over SMA in another experiment. Our results demonstrate that pre-movement cortical oscillatory coupling within the motor network unknowingly influences bimanual coordination performance in humans after consolidation, suggesting the feasibility of augmenting human motor ability by covertly monitoring preparatory neural dynamics.
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