Brain-computer interface breakthrough Thursday, 06 April 2017

News article written by Corbett Communications. The statements made or opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Engineers Australia.

A brain-computer interface that can decipher the thoughts of people who are unable to communicate could revolutionise the lives of those living with complete locked-in syndrome, according to a new paper published.

“Here we explored if a brain-computer interface based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy, which measures brain hemodynamic responses associated with neuronal activity, could overcome this barrier,” Professor Niels Birbaumer et al stated.

Researchers at the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Switzerland said until now, brain-computer interfaces based on neuroelectrical technology (such as an electroencephalogram) had failed at providing patients in a completely locked-in state with the means to communicate, but their latest study has turned previous hypotheses on their head.

The non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI) technique in the recent study used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to measure frontocentral blood oxygen levels and electrical changes in the brain. While other BCIs have previously enabled some paralysed patients to communicate, NIRS, according to the Wyss Center, is so far the only successful approach to restore communication to people who have complete locked-in syndrome.

The four people involved in the study have ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive motor neuron disease that leads to the complete destruction of the part in the nervous system responsible for movement. These people are not capable of even moving their eyes, but have intact cognitive and emotional processing, and were all able to respond yes or no “via thought” to spoken questions, the researchers revealed.

Professor Birbaumer, neuroscientist and senior author on the paper published in Plos Biology, said the “striking” results overturned his own theory that people with complete locked-in syndrome were not capable of communication.

“We found that all four people we tested were able to answer the personal questions we asked them, using their thoughts alone,” he said. “The results overturn previous theories that people with complete locked-in syndrome lack the goal-directed thinking necessary to use a brain-computer interface and are therefore incapable of communication.”

Director of the Wyss Center, Professor John Donoghue, said restoring communication for completely locked-in people was a “crucial first step” in the challenge to regain movement.

“[We] plan to build on the results of this study to develop clinically useful technology that will be available to people with paralysis resulting from ALS, stroke or spinal cord injury,” he said. “The technology used in the study also has broader applications that we believe could be further developed to treat and monitor people with a wide range of neuro disorders.”

Author: Desi Corbett

 

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