Visual neuroprostheses based on intracortical microstimulation represent a promising avenue for restoring sensory function in individuals with blindness. However, their effectiveness depends not only on the technological sophistication of the system, but also on the brain’s capacity to adapt to this novel source of artificial visual input. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the effects of six months of chronic intracortical microstimulation in two blind participants implanted with microelectrode arrays in the primary visual cortex, using the 1/f spectral slope of resting-state EEG as a marker of cortical dynamics. This metric, linked to the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural processes, was estimated using the FOOOF algorithm within the 7–45 Hz frequency range and compared to EEG recordings from five sighted control participants. The results revealed region-specific changes in the 1/f slope between the initial and final time points, including a shift toward values closer to those of the control group in frontal regions of one participant. These findings suggest that the 1/f slope may serve as a sensitive biomarker of cortical neuroplasticity induced by artificial visual stimulation and could be useful for longitudinal monitoring of adaptive brain responses in users of visual neuroprosthetic devices.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Spectral Markers of Cortical Reorganization: A Preliminary Analysis of the 1/f Slope in Blind Visual Neuroprosthesis Users

  • Fernando Daniel Farfán,
  • Leili Soo,
  • Celia E. Tagashira,
  • Gerardo L. Padilla,
  • Cecilia Saavedra,
  • Manuel Parajón,
  • Eduardo Fernández

摘要

Visual neuroprostheses based on intracortical microstimulation represent a promising avenue for restoring sensory function in individuals with blindness. However, their effectiveness depends not only on the technological sophistication of the system, but also on the brain’s capacity to adapt to this novel source of artificial visual input. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the effects of six months of chronic intracortical microstimulation in two blind participants implanted with microelectrode arrays in the primary visual cortex, using the 1/f spectral slope of resting-state EEG as a marker of cortical dynamics. This metric, linked to the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neural processes, was estimated using the FOOOF algorithm within the 7–45 Hz frequency range and compared to EEG recordings from five sighted control participants. The results revealed region-specific changes in the 1/f slope between the initial and final time points, including a shift toward values closer to those of the control group in frontal regions of one participant. These findings suggest that the 1/f slope may serve as a sensitive biomarker of cortical neuroplasticity induced by artificial visual stimulation and could be useful for longitudinal monitoring of adaptive brain responses in users of visual neuroprosthetic devices.