Brain-computer interface Rehabilitation and Virtual Environments in Functional Neurological Disorder

What is the purpose of this study?

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a course of brain-computer interface neurofeedback rehabilitation changes the sense of agency felt over bodily movements in people with functional neurological disorder (FND).

What is the background to this study?

Despite being a common condition, current treatment options for FND are limited, and not everyone responds to available medical, psychological or physiotherapy approaches.

Brain-computer interface (BCI) neurofeedback rehabilitation and virtual reality (VR) approaches have been studied in areas such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury.

From preliminary patient and public involvement work, we have found that there is interest in the potential of BCI and VR based approaches to investigate and treat FND. Despite theoretical reasons to believe that these approaches may be helpful in treating FND symptoms, there is a need to explore their feasibility, and the mechanisms by which they might work.

What will we do in this study?

This study will test the feasibility of BCI rehabilitation for FND with motor symptoms. Participants will be offered 10 sessions of BCI rehabilitation where they wear an EEG headset and are asked to think about moving their hand or foot. This imagined movement will then trigger an avatar to move on screen, as well as gentle electrical stimulation to move the hand or foot. Before and after the course of rehabilitation, individuals will be asked to complete a task in VR. Every person enrolled in the study will get to take part in the BCI rehabilitation.

We are looking for 24 participants aged 16 or over with functional neurological disorder primarily causing weakness in their hand, arm, foot, or leg to take part in the study.