RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Mindfulness Improves Brain Computer Interface Performance by Increasing Control over Neural Activity in the Alpha Band
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.04.13.039081
DO 10.1101/2020.04.13.039081
A1 Stieger, James R.
A1 Engel, Stephen
A1 Jiang, Haiteng
A1 Cline, Christopher C.
A1 Kreitzer, Mary Jo
A1 He, Bin
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/04/13/2020.04.13.039081.abstract
AB 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 StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.