Using mobile brain/body imaging to advance research in arts, health, and related therapeutics

A conceptual framework for a neurophysiological basis of art therapy for PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous condition that affects many civilians and military service members. Lack of engagement, high dropout rate, and variable response to psychotherapy necessitates more compelling and accessible treatment options that are based on sound neuroscientific evidence-informed decision-making. Art therapy incorporates elements proven to be effective in psychotherapy, such as exposure, making it a potentially valuable treatment option. This conceptual paper aims to inform the neurophysiological rationale for the use of art therapy as a therapeutic approach for individuals with PTSD. A narrative synthesis was conducted using literature review of empirical research on the neurophysiological effects of art therapy, with supporting literature on neuroaesthetics and psychotherapies to identify art therapy factors most pertinent for PTSD. Findings were synthesized through a proposed framework based on the triple network model considering the network-based dysfunctions due to PTSD. Art therapy's active components, such as concretization and metaphor, active art engagement, emotion processing and regulation, perspective taking and reframing, and therapeutic alliance, may improve symptoms of PTSD and prompt adaptive brain functioning. Given the scarcity of rigorous studies on art therapy's effectiveness and mechanisms of alleviating PTSD symptoms, the suggested framework offers a neurophysiological rationale and a future research agenda to investigate the impact of art therapy as a therapeutic approach for individuals with PTSD.

Art therapy masks reflect emotional changes in military personnel with PTSS

Among disabling post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are irritability, aggressive behavior, distressing memories and general impaired cognition and negative mood. Art therapy interventions, including mask-making, can potentially alleviate these symptoms. We tested the hypothesis that art conveys emotions and predicted that blinded viewers would be able to perceive changes in theoretically derived emotional profiles expressed in art made by military personnel with PTSS from the onset to the end of therapy. Five service members and veterans exhibiting PTSS were enrolled in an 8-session art therapy protocol, during which they artistically transformed papier-mâché masks at the beginning and end of the protocol. We found that blinded viewers without knowledge of the masks' creation stage (onset or end of therapy) read initial masks as conveying more negative emotions (e.g., angry, upset, and challenged) and later masks as conveying more positive emotions (calm and pleasure). Based on the assessments from the blinded evaluators, we infer the emotional transition experienced by the participants was expressed in the masks. In an exploratory arm of the study, we also found that viewers were better able to empathize with the negative emotions experienced by participants with PTSS when asked to explicitly take their perspective.

A method for synchronized use of EEG and eye tracking in fully immersive VR

This study explores the synchronization of multimodal physiological data streams, in particular, the integration of electroencephalography (EEG) with a virtual reality (VR) headset featuring eye-tracking capabilities. A potential use case for the synchronized data streams is demonstrated by implementing a hybrid steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) based brain-computer interface (BCI) speller within a fully immersive VR environment. The hardware latency analysis reveals an average offset of 36 ms between EEG and eye-tracking data streams and a mean jitter of 5.76 ms. The study further presents a proof of concept brain-computer interface (BCI) speller in VR, showcasing its potential for real-world applications. The findings highlight the feasibility of combining commercial EEG and VR technologies for neuroscientific research and open new avenues for studying brain activity in ecologically valid VR environments. Future research could focus on refining the synchronization methods and exploring applications in various contexts, such as learning and social interactions.

Ecological decoding of visual aesthetic preference with oscillatory electroencephalogram features-A mini-review

In today's digital information age, human exposure to visual artifacts has reached an unprecedented quasi-omnipresence. Some of these cultural artifacts are elevated to the status of artworks which indicates a special appreciation of these objects. For many persons, the perception of such artworks coincides with aesthetic experiences (AE) that can positively affect health and wellbeing. AEs are composed of complex cognitive and affective mental and physiological states. More profound scientific understanding of the neural dynamics behind AEs would allow the development of passive Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCI) that offer personalized art presentation to improve AE without the necessity of explicit user feedback. However, previous empirical research in visual neuroaesthetics predominantly investigated functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Event-Related-Potentials correlates of AE in unnaturalistic laboratory conditions which might not be the best features for practical neuroaesthetic BCIs. Furthermore, AE has, until recently, largely been framed as the experience of beauty or pleasantness. Yet, these concepts do not encompass all types of AE. Thus, the scope of these concepts is too narrow to allow personalized and optimal art experience across individuals and cultures. This narrative mini-review summarizes the state-of-the-art in oscillatory Electroencephalography (EEG) based visual neuroaesthetics and paints a road map toward the development of ecologically valid neuroaesthetic passive BCI systems that could optimize AEs, as well as their beneficial consequences. We detail reported oscillatory EEG correlates of AEs, as well as machine learning approaches to classify AE. We also highlight current limitations in neuroaesthetics and suggest future directions to improve EEG decoding of AE.

A review of combined functional neuroimaging and motion capture for motor rehabilitation

BACKGROUND

Technological advancements in functional neuroimaging and motion capture have led to the development of novel methods that facilitate the diagnosis and rehabilitation of motor deficits. These advancements allow for the synchronous acquisition and analysis of complex signal streams of neurophysiological data (e.g., EEG, fNIRS) and behavioral data (e.g., motion capture). The fusion of those data streams has the potential to provide new insights into cortical mechanisms during movement, guide the development of rehabilitation practices, and become a tool for assessment and therapy in neurorehabilitation.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to review the existing literature on the combined use of motion capture and functional neuroimaging in motor rehabilitation. The objective is to understand the diversity and maturity of technological solutions employed and explore the clinical advantages of this multimodal approach.

METHODS

This paper reviews literature related to the combined use of functional neuroimaging and motion capture for motor rehabilitation following the PRISMA guidelines. Besides study and participant characteristics, technological aspects of the used systems, signal processing methods, and the nature of multimodal feature synchronization and fusion were extracted.

RESULTS

Out of 908 publications, 19 were included in the final review. Basic or translation studies were mainly represented and based predominantly on healthy participants or stroke patients. EEG and mechanical motion capture technologies were most used for biomechanical data acquisition, and their subsequent processing is based mainly on traditional methods. The system synchronization techniques at large were underreported. The fusion of multimodal features mainly supported the identification of movement-related cortical activity, and statistical methods were occasionally employed to examine cortico-kinematic relationships.

CONCLUSION

The fusion of motion capture and functional neuroimaging might offer advantages for motor rehabilitation in the future. Besides facilitating the assessment of cognitive processes in real-world settings, it could also improve rehabilitative devices' usability in clinical environments. Further, by better understanding cortico-peripheral coupling, new neuro-rehabilitation methods can be developed, such as personalized proprioceptive training. However, further research is needed to advance our knowledge of cortical-peripheral coupling, evaluate the validity and reliability of multimodal parameters, and enhance user-friendly technologies for clinical adaptation.

Affordances and curvature preference: The case of real objects and spaces

Chuquichambi and colleagues recently questioned the prevailing belief that a universal human visual preference exists for curved shapes and lines. Their comprehensive meta-analysis demonstrated that while curvature preference is widespread, it is not universally constant or invariant. By revisiting their dataset, we made an intriguing discovery: a negative relationship between curvature preference and an object's "affordances." Taking an embodiment perspective into account, we propose an explanation for this phenomenon, suggesting that the diminished curvature preference in objects with abundant affordances can be understood through the lens of embodied cognition.

Dance/movement therapy as a holistic approach to diminish health discrepancies and promote wellness for people with schizophrenia: a review of the literature

Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia face a myriad of obstacles to wellness, beginning with diagnostic discrepancies including over- and misdiagnoses on the schizophrenia spectrum. People with schizophrenia experience profound amounts of stigmatization from the general population, their healthcare providers, and even themselves. Such stigmatization creates a barrier for wellness, poorer prognoses, and often limits adherence to physical and mental healthcare. Moreover, it can exacerbate the already stifling symptomatology of their diagnoses, including specific bodily-related symptomatology. Oftentimes, a diagnosis of schizophrenia disrupts one's relationship with their body including a diminished mind-body connection, decreased interoceptive awareness, and thus unsuccessful intra- and interpersonal relationships. Some recent research suggests the use of mind-body therapies, however, if these practices are internalizing, they may not be appropriate for people with schizophrenia experiencing more acute symptomatology excluding them from treatment. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) is an embodied psychotherapeutic treatment option that can support participants in improving mind-body connection, social relationships, and self-regulatory skill development. Research on DMT has shown promising results for people with schizophrenia, however such research is limited and would benefit from increased studies that particularly measure the effects of DMT on mind-body connection and increased interoception for people with schizophrenia. Moreover, integrative and collaborative treatment models that couple DMT and biofeedback may further our understanding of the physiological and neurological effects of DMT interventions for people with schizophrenia and beyond. This review will examine the recent literature on health inequities for people with schizophrenia, their specific body-based disruptions and needs, and DMT as a promising treatment model, particularly when coupled with biofeedback.

Are neuroaesthetic principles applied in art therapy protocols for neurorehabilitation? A systematic mini-review

Art is an instrument created by humans as an alternative way of expression. For this reason, it has found its use in clinical contexts to improve mood, increase participation in therapy, or improve communication for patients with different pathologies. In this systematic mini-review, the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were adopted. Internet-based bibliographic searches were conducted via major electronic databases (Web of Science and PubMed). We analyzed the quantitative studies in which art figures as a neurorehabilitation treatment to identify whether standard art therapy protocols exist and whether these are based on the principles of neuroaesthetics. Our review identified 8 quantitative and 18 qualitative studies. Although art therapy has been used for more than 20 years as a clinical tool, there are no standard protocols to refer to when planning interventions. Although the effectiveness of using arts as therapy has been reported in many qualitative or feasibility studies, there is still a lack of quantitative studies in which the outcomes of art therapy are directly based on the principles of neuroaesthetics.

Mobile cognition: imaging the human brain in the 'real world'

Cognitive neuroscience studies in humans have enabled decades of impactful discoveries but have primarily been limited to recording the brain activity of immobile participants in a laboratory setting. In recent years, advances in neuroimaging technologies have enabled recordings of human brain activity to be obtained during freely moving behaviours in the real world. Here, we propose that these mobile neuroimaging methods can provide unique insights into the neural mechanisms of human cognition and contribute to the development of novel treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders. We further discuss the challenges associated with studying naturalistic human behaviours in complex real-world settings as well as strategies for overcoming them. We conclude that mobile neuroimaging methods have the potential to bring about a new era of cognitive neuroscience in which neural mechanisms can be studied with increased ecological validity and with the ability to address questions about natural behaviour and cognitive processes in humans engaged in dynamic real-world experiences.

Assessing Neurokinematic and Neuromuscular Connectivity During Walking Using Mobile Brain-Body Imaging

Gait is a common but rather complex activity that supports mobility in daily life. It requires indeed sophisticated coordination of lower and upper limbs, controlled by the nervous system. The relationship between limb kinematics and muscular activity with neural activity, referred to as neurokinematic and neuromuscular connectivity (NKC/NMC) respectively, still needs to be elucidated. Recently developed analysis techniques for mobile high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) recordings have enabled investigations of gait-related neural modulations at the brain level. To shed light on gait-related neurokinematic and neuromuscular connectivity patterns in the brain, we performed a mobile brain/body imaging (MoBI) study in young healthy participants. In each participant, we collected hdEEG signals and limb velocity/electromyography signals during treadmill walking. We reconstructed neural signals in the alpha (8–13 Hz), beta (13–30 Hz), and gamma (30–50 Hz) frequency bands, and assessed the co-modulations of their power envelopes with myogenic/velocity envelopes. Our results showed that the myogenic signals have larger discriminative power in evaluating gait-related brain-body connectivity with respect to kinematic signals. A detailed analysis of neuromuscular connectivity patterns in the brain revealed robust responses in the alpha and beta bands over the lower limb representation in the primary sensorimotor cortex. There responses were largely contralateral with respect to the body sensor used for the analysis. By using a voxel-wise analysis of variance on the NMC images, we revealed clear modulations across body sensors; the variability across frequency bands was relatively lower, and below significance. Overall, our study demonstrates that a MoBI platform based on hdEEG can be used for the investigation of gait-related brain-body connectivity. Future studies might involve more complex walking conditions to gain a better understanding of fundamental neural processes associated with gait control, or might be conducted in individuals with neuromotor disorders to identify neural markers of abnormal gait.

The Embodiment of Architectural Experience: A Methodological Perspective on Neuro-Architecture

People spend a large portion of their time inside built environments. Research in neuro-architecture—the neural basis of human perception of and interaction with the surrounding architecture—promises to advance our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying this common human experience and also to inspire evidence-based architectural design principles. This article examines the current state of the field and offers a path for moving closer to fulfilling this promise. The paper is structured in three sections, beginning with an introduction to neuro-architecture, outlining its main objectives and giving an overview of experimental research in the field. Afterward, two methodological limitations attending current brain-imaging architectural research are discussed: the first concerns the limited focus of the research, which is often restricted to the aesthetic dimension of architectural experience; the second concerns practical limitations imposed by the typical experimental tools and methods, which often require participants to remain stationary and prevent naturalistic interaction with architectural surroundings. Next, we propose that the theoretical basis of ecological psychology provides a framework for addressing these limitations and motivates emphasizing the role of embodied exploration in architectural experience, which encompasses but is not limited to aesthetic contemplation. In this section, some basic concepts within ecological psychology and their convergences with architecture are described. Lastly, we introduce Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) as one emerging brain imaging approach with the potential to improve the ecological validity of neuro-architecture research. Accordingly, we suggest that combining theoretical and conceptual resources from ecological psychology with state-of-the-art neuroscience methods (Mobile Brain/Body Imaging) is a promising way to bring neuro-architecture closer to accomplishing its scientific and practical goals.

Brain-Computer Interfaces and Creative Expression: Interface Considerations for Rehabilitative and Therapeutic Interactions

By translating brain signals into new kinds of outputs, Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) systems hold tremendous potential as both transformative rehabilitation and communication tools. BCIs can be considered a unique technology, in that they are able to provide a direct link between the brain and the external environment. By affording users with opportunities for communication and self-expression, BCI systems serve as a bridge between abled-bodied and disabled users, in turn reducing existing barriers between these groups. This perspective piece explores the complex shifting relationship between neuroadaptive systems and humans by foregrounding personal experience and embodied interaction as concepts through which to evaluate digital environments cultivated through the design of BCI interfaces. To underscore the importance of fostering human-centered experiences through technologically mediated interactions, this work offers a conceptual framework through which the rehabilitative and therapeutic possibilities of BCI user-system engagement could be furthered. By inviting somatic analysis towards the design of BCI interfaces and incorporating tenets of creative arts therapies practices into hybrid navigation paradigms for self-expressive applications, this work highlights the need for examining individual technological interactions as sites with meaning-making potentiality, as well as those conceived through unique exchanges based on user-specific needs for communication. Designing BCI interfaces in ways that afford users with increased options for navigation, as well as with the ability to share subjective and collective experiences, helps to redefine existing boundaries of digital and physical user-system interactions and encourages the reimagining of these systems as novel digital health tools for recovery.

Time to move: Brain dynamics underlying natural action and cognition

Advances in Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) technology allows for real-time measurements of human brain dynamics during every day, natural, real-life situations. This special issue Time to Move brings together a collection of experimental papers, targeted reviews and opinion articles that lay out the latest MoBI findings. A wide range of topics across different fields are covered including art, athletics, virtual reality, and mobility. What unites these diverse topics is the common goal to enhance and restore human abilities by reaching a better understanding on how cognition is implemented by the brain-body relationship. The breadth and novelty of paradigms and findings reported here positions MoBI as a new frontier in the field of human cognitive neuroscience.

VR Health Experience: A Virtual Space for Arts and Psychomotor Therapy

Introduction: Mental health and well-being are under pressure because of the corona pandemic. Arts and psychomotor therapists said that they had almost no experience with working online, but despite the fact that they felt incapable, they were positive towards it.

Method: This qualitative action research was aimed at how arts and psychomotor therapists can become more skilled in offering online arts and psychomotor therapy and how they can methodically enlist the VR Health Experience (a virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space) in therapy. It is envisaged that the arts and psychomotor therapist could be telepresent in order to offer arts and psychomotor therapy remotely. In online training that made use of the Lean Startup Method, participants (n = 5) integrated their working knowledge with the VR Health Experience. The interventions were immediately tested by the participants and in practice. Participants were interviewed retrospectively and their experiences were thematically analysed.

Results: The VR Health Experience came forward as an innovative addition to the usual arts and psychomotor therapy. Often, clients were encouraged to play and experiment, and the VR world offered several options. The VR Health Experience lowered the threshold, expanded the training areas and held a great attraction for play.

Discussion: This project offered an innovative quality boost for arts and psychomotor therapy. Arts and psychomotor therapy have proven to be possible remotely via telepresence of the therapist. The therapist is present together with the client in the VR Health Experience, the virtual arts and psychomotor therapy space, where connectedness can be felt and new experiences can be gained. VR also offers further possibilities in arts and psychomotor therapy.