Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2015 May, 236(1)

Neurofeedback Training Improves the Dual-Task Performance Ability in Stroke Patients

YOUNG-SHIN LEE,¹ SEA-HYUN BAE,² SUNG-HEE LEE³ and KYUNG-YOON KIM²

¹Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Dongshin University, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea
²Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Dongshin University, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea
³Department of Occupationl Therapy, Chonnam National University Bitgoeul Hospital, Gwangju-si, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea

Owing to the reduced capacity for information processing following a stroke, patients commonly present with difficulties in performing activities of daily living that combine two or more tasks. To address this problem, in the present study, we investigated the effects of neurofeedback training on the abilities of stroke patients to perform dual motor tasks. We randomly assigned 20 patients who had sustained a stroke within the preceding 6 months to either a pseudo-neurofeedback (n = 10) or neurofeedback (n = 10) group. Both groups participated in a general exercise intervention for 8 weeks, three times a week for 30 min per session, under the same conditions. An electrode was secured to the scalp over the region of the central lobe (Cz), in compliance with the International 10-20 System. The electrode was inactive for the pseudo-training group. Participants in the neurofeedback training group received the 30-min neurofeedback training per session for reinforcing the sensorimotor rhythm. Electroencephalographic activity of the two groups was compared. In addition, selected parameters of gait (velocity, cadence [step/min], stance phase [%], and foot pressure) were analyzed using a 10-m walk test, attention-demanding task, walk task and quantified by the SmartStep system. The neurofeedback group showed significantly improved the regulation of the sensorimotor rhythm (p < 0.001) and ability to execute dual tasks (p < 0.01). Significant improvements on selected gait parameters (velocity and cadence; p < 0.05) were also observed. We thus propose that the neurofeedback training is effective to improve the dual-task performance in stroke patients.

keywords —— dual tasks; gait patterns; neurofeedback training; stroke; task performance

© 2015 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2015, 236, 81-88

Correspondence: Kyung-Yoon Kim, P.T., Ph.D., Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Dongshin University, 252 Daeho-dong, Naju-si, Jeollanam-do 520-714, Republic of Korea.

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