Hjerne-computer interface / Brain-computer interface

EEG, thereby Evoked Potentials (EP) can be used for control and communication with and via a computer in so-called Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). In the latest decades, many attempts have been made to establish a BCI, which circumvents traditional motor pathways for communication and control. Such an interface could restore lost function in the severely paralyzed, such as those affected by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), stroke, or spinal cord injury. BCI research and development is an interdisciplinary task, involving neuroscience, psychology, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and clinical rehabilitation. A key goal of such research is identifying the best possible signal features, whether using evoked potentials, spontaneous brain rhythms such as Event Related Desynchronization and Synchronization (ERD and ERS), or single-neuron firing rates. Numerous invasive and non-invasive approaches are currently in development. We have chosen to focus on BCI using Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SS-VEP) using a standard CRT for the stimulation. The steady-state visual evoked response appears to be a promising approach because training time seems to be negligible and relatively high detection speeds possible. Our recent studies in SSVEP-based BCIs have shown that it is possible in real-time to distinguish between several symbols presented simultaneously on a computer screen. The aim of our present studies is to increase the detection specificity and speed of selections and to develop suitable user-interfaces for communication. Supported by STVF. (Kim Dremstrup Nielsen, Saber Sami, Alvaro Fuentes Cabrera)