EEG characteristics in “eyes-open” versus “eyes-closed” condition during vibrotactile stimulation

Abstract Motor imaginary (MI)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) has shown great potential in neurorehabilitation. However, low reliability and concentration difficulty for some patients during most MI-BCIs involving visual tasks affect the performance of MI-BCI. The integration of vibrotactile stimulation (VibraoStim) with MI-based BCI can solve those issues. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the different effects between eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) during VibroStim on the cerebral activity and network. We designed and conducted an experiment, in which VibroStim (75 Hz) was applied over the belly of the biceps muscle in the left arm for 15 healthy subjects during EC or EO. The resting-state and VibroStim brain activity with EC or EO were recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). The EEG analysis showed a significant increase in the delta and theta power at C4, and a significant decrease in the alpha power at C4 during EC VibroStim compared to the resting-state. No significant difference was identified in event-related desynchronization (ERD) following VibroStim during EC or EO. A significant increase in the global efficiency and a significant decrease in the characteristic path length during EC VibroStim were observed in the beta band, whereas no significant differences were found during EO VibroStim. These findings indicate, VibroStim feedback, which is suitable for patients with poor vision or those who have difficulty focusing on objects, may improve BCI decoding accuracy by increasing ERD lateralization whether subjects keep EO or EC.