Workshop on: Clinical Neurorehabilitation based on Neuromodulation Interventions
Neuromodulation (also known as neurofeedback) is a feedback-based technique that uses electro- encephalography or functional magnetic resonance imaging to provide a person with a signal that represents his/her own brain activity. As other biofeedback techniques, neuromodulation uses control devices to provide real-time information of the individual’s physiological working levels. The main difference with other biofeedback techniques is that neuromodulation focuses only in the central nervous system and the brain. Neuromodulation is based on applied neuroscience knowledge and clinical practice. Furthermore, it takes into account behavioral and cognitive features, and the brain activity associated to them. Several studies have revealed that these interventions have therapeutic effects to treat a variety of neurological and psychological disorders such as epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and addictive disorders, among others. Furthermore, these interventions applied to healthy users have demonstrated its ability to improve certain cognitive aptitudes.
Actual workshop will combine the advances in clinical practice and engineering, so that students of both areas can learn the principles of the discipline and its actual state. They will also be able to use the technology in a real neuromodulation application to healthy users, planning and executing a real intervention. Concretely, this workshop will show the needed brain-computer interface technology (hardware and software), and a brief description of its applications. The methodology to use this technology with healthy users and patients will be shown. The main neurological and psychological disorders which have been reported in literature and the main cognitive aptitudes improved in healthy users will be exposed. Then, the workshop will focus on the developed studies in our research team with depression patients, and healthy users. Main results will be exposed followed by the future work. Finally, a live demo of neuromodulation of the alpha rhythm will take place, showing a live experience of the technology ready to be used out of the lab by non-expert people.
Total time (4 hours):
Conferences (2.5 hours):
- (30 min) Dr. Javier Mínguez. From brain-computer interfaces to neuromodulation.
- (30 min) Dr. Javier García Campayo. Alpha rhythm neuromodulation in the treatment of cognitive aptitudes to patients with depression and fibromyalgia.
- (30 min) Dr. Joan Salvà Coll. Low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with fibromyalgia and major depression.
- (30 min) MsC. Carlos Escolano. Improving cognitive aptitudes in healthy users using neuromodulation.
- (30 min) MsC. Eduardo López-Larraz. Improving motor aptitudes in healthy users using neuromodulation.
Live demo (1.5 hours) by Bit&Brain Technologies S.L.
- Introduction to neuromodulation technology (hardware and software)
- Principles and pathologies treated in literature
- Live demo in a real neuromodulation intervention to the participants of the workshop. Intervention will focus on alpha rhythm to enhance cognitive aptitudes.
