Investigating the impact of visual-motor priming on cortical excitability during a simple hand motor task

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) have emerged as a promising tool in post-stroke neurorehabilitation, due to their ability to promote neuroplasticity mechanisms within the affected hemisphere. Most studies have focused on the optimization of the feedback branch, overlooking the importance of establishing an optimal condition for the patient’s brain to perform the required task. In this context, integrating visual-motor priming (i.e. observing an action before/during performing it) into BCI systems could enhance the effects of rehabilitation by increasing cortical excitability, thus supporting the patient in performing the task. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of visual-motor priming on cortical excitability during a hand motor extension task and to evaluate which type of visual-motor priming is most effective in support of task performance.