Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Mindfulness Improves Brain Computer Interface Performance by Increasing Control over Neural Activity in the Alpha Band

James R. Stieger, Stephen Engel, Haiteng Jiang, Christopher C. Cline, Mary Jo Kreitzer, Bin He
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.13.039081
James R. Stieger
1Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stephen Engel
2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Haiteng Jiang
1Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Christopher C. Cline
2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mary Jo Kreitzer
2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Bin He
1Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: bhe1@andrew.cmu.edu
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are promising tools for assisting patients with paralysis, but suffer from long training times and variable user proficiency. Mind-body awareness training (MBAT) can improve BCI learning, but how it does so remains unknown. Here we show that MBAT allows participants to learn to volitionally increase alpha band neural activity during BCI tasks that incorporate intentional rest. We trained individuals in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR; a standardized MBAT intervention) and compared performance and brain activity before and after training between randomly assigned trained and untrained control groups. The MBAT group showed reliably faster learning of BCI than the control group throughout training. Alpha-band activity in EEG signals, recorded in the volitional resting state during task performance, showed a parallel increase over sessions, and predicted final BCI performance. The level of alpha-band activity during the intentional resting state correlated reliably with individuals’ mindfulness practice as well as performance on a sustained attention task. Collectively, these results show that MBAT modifies a specific neural signal used by BCI. MBAT, by increasing patients’ control over their brain activity during rest, may increase the effectiveness of BCI in the large population who could benefit from alternatives to direct motor control.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted April 13, 2020.
Download PDF
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Mindfulness Improves Brain Computer Interface Performance by Increasing Control over Neural Activity in the Alpha Band
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Mindfulness Improves Brain Computer Interface Performance by Increasing Control over Neural Activity in the Alpha Band
James R. Stieger, Stephen Engel, Haiteng Jiang, Christopher C. Cline, Mary Jo Kreitzer, Bin He
bioRxiv 2020.04.13.039081; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.13.039081
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Mindfulness Improves Brain Computer Interface Performance by Increasing Control over Neural Activity in the Alpha Band
James R. Stieger, Stephen Engel, Haiteng Jiang, Christopher C. Cline, Mary Jo Kreitzer, Bin He
bioRxiv 2020.04.13.039081; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.13.039081

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Neuroscience
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (4235)
  • Biochemistry (9136)
  • Bioengineering (6784)
  • Bioinformatics (24001)
  • Biophysics (12129)
  • Cancer Biology (9534)
  • Cell Biology (13778)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (7636)
  • Ecology (11702)
  • Epidemiology (2066)
  • Evolutionary Biology (15513)
  • Genetics (10644)
  • Genomics (14326)
  • Immunology (9483)
  • Microbiology (22839)
  • Molecular Biology (9090)
  • Neuroscience (48995)
  • Paleontology (355)
  • Pathology (1482)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2570)
  • Physiology (3846)
  • Plant Biology (8331)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1471)
  • Synthetic Biology (2296)
  • Systems Biology (6192)
  • Zoology (1301)