Abstract
This paper describes a paralyzed patient diagnosed with severe infantile cerebral palsy, trained over a period of several months to use an EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI) for verbal communication. The patient learned to "produce" two distinct EEG patterns by mental imagery and to use this skill for BCI-controlled spelling. The EEG feedback training was conducted at a clinic for Assisted Communications, supervised from a distant laboratory with the help of a telemonitoring system. As a function of training sessions significant learning progress was found, resulting in an average accuracy level of 70% correct responses for letter selection. At present, "copy spelling" can be performed with a rate of approximately one letter per minute. The proposed communication device, the "Virtual Keyboard", may improve actual levels of communication ability in completely paralyzed patients. "Telemonitoring-assisted" training facilitates clinical application in a larger number of patients.
Translated title of the contribution | EEG-Based Communication - A New Concept for Rehabilitative Support in Patients with Severe Motor Impairment |
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Original language | German |
Pages (from-to) | 371-377 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Rehabilitation |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2003 |
Keywords
- Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)
- Cerebral palsy
- Communication device
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Telemonitoring
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Rehabilitation
- Health Professions(all)