Abstract
Keywords Cerebrovascular accident · Dysfunction · Somatosensory evoked potential · Sensorimotor recovery · Upper extremity Electroencephalogram (EEG) during pinprick stimulation has the potential to unveil neural mechanisms underlying senso- rimotor impairments post-stroke. A proof-of-concept study explored event-related peak pinprick amplitude and oscillatory responses in healthy controls and in people with acute and subuacute motor and sensorimotor stroke, their relationship, and to what extent EEG somatosensory responses can predict sensorimotor impairment. In this study, 26 individuals participated, 10 people with an acute and early subacute sensorimotor stroke, 6 people with an acute and early subacute motor stroke, and 10 age-matched controls. Pinpricks were applied to the dorsa of the impaired hand to collect somatosensory evoked potentials. Time(-frequency) analyses of somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) data at electrodes C3 and C4 explored peak pinprick amplitude and oscillatory responses across the three groups. Also, in stroke, (sensori-)motor impairments were assessed with the Fugl Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity (FMA) and Erasmus modified Nottingham Sensory Assessment (EmNSA) at baseline and 7 to 14 days later. Mixed model analyses were used to address objectives. It was demonstrated that increased beta desynchronization magnitude correlated with milder motor impairments (R2adjusted = 0.213), whereas increased beta resynchronization and delta power were associated to milder somatosensory impairment (R2adjusted = 0.550). At the second session, larger peak-to-peak SEP amplitude and beta band resynchronization at baseline were related to greater improve- ments in EMNSA and FMA scores, respectively, in the sensorimotor stroke group. These findings highlight the potential of EEG combined with somatosensory stimuli to differentiate between sensorimotor and motor impairments in stroke, offering preliminary insights into both diagnostic and prognostic aspects of upper limb recovery.
Authors
Tedesco Triccas, L., Van Hoornweder, S., Camilleri, T., Boccuni, L., Peeters, A., Van Pesch, V., Meesen, R., Mantini, D., Camilleri, K., & Verheyden, G.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-025-01327-3