Modulation of functional connectivity in response to mirror visual feedback in stroke survivors

Background. Several brain regions are activated in response to mirror visual feedback (MVF). However, less is known about how these brain areas and their connectivity are modulated in stroke patients. This study aimed to explore the effects of MVF on brain functional connectivity in stroke patients. Materials and Methods. We enrolled 15 stroke patients who executed Bilateral-No mirror, Bilateral-Mirror, and Unilateral-Mirror conditions. The coherence values among five brain regions of interest in four different frequency bands were calculated from magnetoencephalographic signals. We examined the differences in functional connectivity of each two brain areas between the Bilateral-No mirror and Bilateral-Mirror conditions and between the Bilateral-Mirror and Unilateral-Mirror conditions. Results. The functional connectivity analyses revealed significantly stronger connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and primary motor cortex in the beta band (adjusted p = 0.04) and possibly stronger connectivity between the precuneus and primary visual cortex in the theta band (adjusted p = 0.08) in the Bilateral-Mirror condition than those in the Bilateral-No mirror condition. However, the comparisons between the Bilateral-Mirror and Unilateral-Mirror conditions revealed no significant differences in cortical coherence in all frequency bands. Conclusions. Providing MVF to stroke patients may modulate the lesioned primary motor cortex through visuospatial and attentional cortical networks.