Face stimuli effectively prevent brain–computer interface inefficiency in patients with neurodegenerative disease

• Published in: Clinical neurophysiology Vol. 124; no. 5; pp. 893 - 900
• Main Authors: Kaufmann, Tobias, Schulz, Stefan M, Köblitz, Anja, Renner, Gregor, Wessig, Carsten, Kübler, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Adult; BCI inefficiency; Bit rate; Brain - physiology; Brain computer interface; Brain-Computer Interfaces - psychology; Communication; Communication Aids for Disabled; Event related potentials; Event-Related Potentials, P300 - physiology; Face - physiology; Female; Humans; Male; Neurodegenerative disease; Neurology; Online classification accuracy; P300-speller; Photic Stimulation - methods; Task Performance and Analysis; User-Computer Interface; Visual Perception - physiology; Young Adult; Online classification accuracy; P300-speller; BCI inefficiency; Bit rate; Neurodegenerative disease; Brain computer interface; Event related potentials; Communication
• ISSN: 1388-2457; 1872-8952
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2012.11.006

Highlights ► This study shows how to effectively overcome brain computer interface (BCI) inefficiency in patients with neurodegenerative disease. ► Online performance was significantly increased in healthy participants ( N = 16) and those with neurodegenerative disease ( N = 9) when using faces as stimulus material in an ERP–BCI paradigm. ► Importantly, two patients who were highly inefficient with the classic BCI paradigm spelled at high accuracy levels with the face flashing paradigm.