Language-training induced coherency effects in stroke patients with aphasia

Language-training induced coherency effects in stroke patients with aphasia | Data-Driven NeuroTechnology lab

Language-training induced coherency effects in stroke patients with aphasia

Is a change of coherency in EEG recordings observed either when comparing pre- vs. post rehabilitation training or when regressing over training duration?

Left-hemispheric stroke can lead to different language deficits, which are a heavy burden both, for the individual and his/her social interaction, as well as for society. While spontaneous recovery in the first weeks after the stroke may reduce this so-called aphasia, many patients remain with different language problems also in the chronic phase. The rehabilitation of these stroke-induced language deficits can be brought forward in chronic patients with a novel BCI-based training approach developed in our research group. The training so far has been tested successfully in a pilot trial (see https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcac008) .

To better understand the underlying mechanisms of the observed training success, we would like to investigate if the training has potentially induced some change of coherency, i.e., expressed by phase-amplitude coupling across frequencies and EEG channels. Specifically, it shall be analyzed, which changes of coherency metrics relate to a successful language training with the novel BCI-based approach.

BCI background by accomplished course SOW-BKI 323 or SOW-MKI 74

Good programming skills in Python (familiarity with numpy, sklearn, at least one popular deep learning framework).

Good mathematical background and intuition.