Hemodynamic response in the motor cortex to execution of different types of movements

Abstract

Purpose of this work is the analysis of the hemodynamic response to the execution of various types of movements (single movement, series of movements, “tapping”) by the right hand. Methods. In this paper, the hemodynamic response was recorded using functional near infrared spectroscopy (NIRScout instrument from NIRx, Germany). The NIRScout system uses 16 optodes (8 sources and 8 detectors) to record the hemodynamic response in the cerebral cortex with a sampling rate of 7.8125 Hz. Optodes are non-invasively placed on the patient’s scalp by inserting into the sockets of a special cap “EASYCAP”. Results. We show that the total hemodynamic response in the motor cortex of the left hemisphere slightly differs between all the considered types of movement, while the severity of contralaterality demonstrates significant differences between the types of movements. Contralaterality is most pronounced when performing a series of movements, while a single squeeze of the hand causes the least contralaterality. Conclusion. The results obtained in this paper demonstrate the high sensitivity of functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology to the performance of various types of movements. It should be especially noted here short single hand squeezes, which are clearly visible on the characteristics of HbO and HbR, which can be used in the development and design of various brain – computer interfaces, including multimodal ones.

Keywords

• hemodynamic response
• functional nirs
• tapping
• hand movement
• brain activity