Improving Motor Imagination with Support of RealTime LORETA Neurofeedback

Recording cortical activity during imagined leg movement is a challenging task due to cortical representation of legs deeper within the central sulcus. Therefore Brain Computer Interface (BCI) studies typically rely on imagined movement of both legs [1]. Activity of deeper cortical structures can be estimated offline from multichannel Electroencephalography (EEG) by using LORETA numerical method [2]. LORETA can also be calculated in real time to provide an instantaneous estimate of brain activity, but currently available solution supports only up to 19 channels (BrainAvatar, BrainMaster, Inc). In this study we propose a custom designed real time LORETA neurofeedback based on multichannel EEG to increase cortical activity at the central sulcus during continuous imagining tapping with one leg only. This strategy could be useful in neurorehabilitation of hemiplegia (i.e. stroke)