Brain–machine interface via real-time fMRI: Preliminary study on thought-controlled robotic arm

• Published in: Neuroscience letters Vol. 450; no. 1; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Lee, Jong-Hwan, Ryu, Jeongwon, Jolesz, Ferenc A., Cho, Zang-Hee, Yoo, Seung-Schik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 23.01.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Arm; Biological and medical sciences; Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD); Brain mapping; Brain–computer interface (BCI); Feedback; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hand; Humans; Imagination - physiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - instrumentation; Male; Monte Carlo Method; Motor Cortex - physiology; Movement; Real-time fMRI (rtfMRI); Robotics - methods; Task Performance and Analysis; User-Computer Interface; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD); Real-time fMRI (rtfMRI); Brain mapping; Brain–computer interface (BCI); Real-timefMRI(rtfMRI); Blood oxygenation level dependent(BOLD); Central nervous system; Brain-computer interface (BCI); Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Encephalon; Functional imaging
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.11.024

Real-time functional MRI (rtfMRI) has been used as a basis for brain–computer interface (BCI) due to its ability to characterize region-specific brain activity in real-time. As an extension of BCI, we present an rtfMRI-based brain–machine interface (BMI) whereby 2-dimensional movement of a robotic arm was controlled by the regulation (and concurrent detection) of regional cortical activations in the primary motor areas. To do so, the subjects were engaged in the right- and/or left-hand motor imagery tasks. The blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal originating from the corresponding hand motor areas was then translated into horizontal or vertical robotic arm movement. The movement was broadcasted visually back to the subject as a feedback. We demonstrated that real-time control of the robotic arm only through the subjects’ thought processes was possible using the rtfMRI-based BMI trials.