This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of early EEG-based non-invasive brain-computer interface (EEG-BCI) training as an add-on to standard early rehabilitation in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after reperfusion therapy. Eligible participants are adults aged 18 to 80 years with unilateral limb motor dysfunction after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Participants will be randomized to receive either standard early rehabilitation plus closed-loop EEG-BCI dual-module virtual hand and gait training, or standard early rehabilitation alone.
The EEG-BCI intervention includes upper-limb virtual hand training and lower-limb gait/ankle dorsiflexion training, delivered twice daily for approximately 20 minutes per session over 5 consecutive days. The primary outcome is the change in Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) score from baseline (T0) to Day 30. Secondary outcomes include upper- and lower-limb motor function, ambulation, neurological status, disability, and activities of daily living. Safety and feasibility outcomes will also be assessed.
1. Age 18 to 80 years.
2. Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with reperfusion therapy, including intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or mechanical thrombectomy (MT); for participants undergoing MT, successful recanalization during the procedure defined as eTICI 2b-3.
3. Meets the protocol-defined clinical stability criteria for the corresponding treatment pathway (see Section 4.3).
4. Unilateral limb motor dysfunction on the same side as the dominant hand.
1. Imaging-confirmed symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), or bleeding risk considered unacceptable by the investigator and requiring a change in treatment strategy.
2. Overt progressive neurological deterioration or need for urgent intervention, making training inappropriate, such as an increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of >=4 from a prior assessment with cause not yet clarified or stabilized.
3. Severe disturbance of consciousness, severe aphasia or neglect, or significant cognitive impairment that would prevent completion of BCI training tasks or primary outcome assessment.
4. Bilateral significant motor impairment, such as brainstem or bilateral lesions, or pre-existing moderate-to-severe disability of the contralateral upper or lower limb, which would interfere with training or interpretation of assessments under the unilateral impairment framework.