Affiliations: [a] Department of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Jiangsu, China
| [b] The Affiliated Xuzhou Rehabilitation Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Jiangsu, China
| [c] College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| [d] Department of Sports and Exercise Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| [e] Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Wei Tang, Department of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Jiangsu, China. E-mail: tangwei@cumt.edu.cn.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:The recovery of upper limb function is crucial to the daily life activities of stroke patients. Brain-computer interface technology may have potential benefits in treating upper limb dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in the rehabilitation of upper limb motor function in stroke patients. METHODS:Six databases up to July 2023 were reviewed according to the PRSIMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials of BCI-based upper limb functional rehabilitation for stroke patients were selected for meta-analysis by pooling standardized mean difference (SMD) to summarize the evidence. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. RESULTS:Twenty-five studies were included. The studies showed that BCI had a small effect on the improvement of upper limb function after the intervention. In terms of total duration of training, < 12 hours of training may result in better rehabilitation, but training duration greater than 12 hours suggests a non significant therapeutic effect of BCI training. CONCLUSION:This meta-analysis suggests that BCI has a slight efficacy in improving upper limb function and has favorable long-term outcomes. In terms of total duration of training, < 12 hours of training may lead to better rehabilitation.
Keywords: Brain-computer interface (BCI), stroke, upper limb, motor recovery
