Neurofeedback induced restoration on sensorimotor rhythm after 24h of hand immobilization.

In this study, we examined the effect of neurofeedback on EEG changes due to immobilization of the dominant hand. Desynchronization of the sensorimotor rhythms during motor imagery was used as a tool to investigate brain activity. The study is based on 8 healthy subjects who underwent immobilization of the dominant hand for 24 hours. The electrical activity of the sensorimotor region of the cerebral cortex was registered during mental imagery of hand movements before the immobilization, soon after its removal and after a single session of neurofeedback. The control of the feedback stimuli was based on changes in sensorimotor rhythms produced by imagination of movement. Preliminary results show that immobilization caused changes in alpha and beta rhythms that were rapidly reversed after a single session of neurofeedback. At the end of the full study, if the here presented observations will still hold, the neurofeedback protocol will be proposed for routine rehabilitation sessions in patients suffering partial or total limb disability.