Modulating functional connectivity after stroke with neurofeedback: Effect on motor deficits in a controlled cross-over study

Synchronization of neural activity as measured with functional connectivity (FC) is increasingly used to study the neural basis of brain disease and to develop new treatment targets. However, solid evidence for a causal role of FC in disease and therapy is lacking. Here, we manipulated FC of the ipsilesional primary motor cortex in ten chronic human stroke patients through brain-computer interface technology with visual neurofeedback. We conducted a double-blind controlled crossover study to test whether manipulation of FC through neurofeedback had a behavioral effect on motor performance. Patients succeeded in increasing FC in the motor cortex. This led to improvement in motor function that was significantly greater than during neurofeedback training of a control brain area and proportional to the degree of FC enhancement. This result provides evidence that FC has a causal role in neurological function and that it can be effectively targeted with therapy.