A Comparison of Modality-Matched and Modality-Missed-Matched Sensory Feedback by Brain Mapping and Practical Trials

Abstract

This paper compares two methods of sensory feedback (SF) in prosthetic hands noninvasively by investigating practical experiments, a questionnaire form, and brain activity mapping. The modality-missed-matched sensory feedback (MMM-SF) is per-formed on remnant muscles of the amputated limb using transcutaneous electrical Stimulation (TES). In addition, an armband with multi-modal sensory stimulators is being used for the modality-matched sensory feedback (MM-SF) on the superficial layer of the skin. Both sensory stimulators have been synced with a designed myoelectric bionic hand, equipped with differ-ent sensors to assess surrounding stimuli. The results indicate that the MMM-SF imposes higher cognitive loads on amputee participants than the MM-SF strat-egy. Furthermore, the effects of sensory stimulation by proposed methods have been investigated by brain mapping through quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) and low-resolution brain electromagnetic to-mography (LORETA), which shows that perceived SF in both approaches could assist in recovering the Alpha/Delta-band rhythm balance.