Community structure of cortical networks in spinal cord injured patients

In the present study, we estimated the cortical networks were from high-resolution EEG recordings in a group of spinal cord injured patients and in a group of healthy subjects, during the preparation of a limb movement. Then, we use the Markov Clustering method to analyse the division of the network into community structures. The results indicate large differences between the injured patients and the healthy subjects. In particular, the networks of spinal cord injured patient exhibited a higher density of clusters. In the Alpha (7-12 Hz) frequency band, the two observed largest communities were mainly composed by the cingulate motor areas with the supplementary motor areas, and by the pre-motor areas with the right primary motor area of the foot. This functional separation could reflect the partial alteration in the primary motor areas because of the effects of the spinal cord injury. © 2008 IEEE.