# Associations between pre-cue parietal alpha oscillations and event related desynchronization in motor imagery-based brain-computer interface

## TL;DR

The study shows that higher pre-cue parietal alpha brain activity is linked to better performance in motor imagery-based brain-computer interfaces.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying pre-cue parietal alpha power as a potential marker to optimize MI-BCI performance.

## Key findings

- Pre-cue parietal alpha power correlates significantly with ERD magnitude during motor imagery.
- Higher pre-cue alpha power is associated with increased MI-BCI classification accuracy.
- The results suggest pre-cue alpha power could be used to improve BCI system consistency.

## Abstract

Motor Imagery based brain-computer interfaces (MI-BCIs) offer a promising avenue for controlling external devices via neural signals generated through imagined movements. Despite their potential, the performance of MI-BCIs remains highly variable across users and sessions, presenting a barrier to broader adoption.

This study explores the influence of pre-cue parietal alpha power on the quality of the event-related desynchronization (ERD) responses, a critical indicator of MI processes. Analyzing data from 102 sessions involving 77 participants.

We identified a robust significant correlation between pre-cue parietal alpha power and ERD magnitude, indicating that elevated pre-cue parietal alpha power is associated with enhanced ERD responses. Additionally, we observed a significant positive relationship between pre-cue parietal alpha power and MI-BCI classification accuracy, highlighting the potential relevance of this neurophysiological metric for BCI performance.

Our findings suggest that pre-cue parietal alpha power can serve as a potential marker for optimizing MI-BCI systems. Integrating this marker into individualized training protocols can potentially enhance MI-BCI systems' consistency, and overall accuracy.