IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Jun 2006
Comparative StudyThe BCI competition. III: Validating alternative approaches to actual BCI problems.
A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a system that allows its users to control external devices with brain activity. Although the proof-of-concept was given decades ago, the reliable translation of user intent into device control commands is still a major challenge. Success requires the effective interaction of two adaptive controllers: the user's brain, which produces brain activity that encodes intent, and the BCI system, which translates that activity into device control commands. ⋯ BCI data competitions have been organized to provide objective formal evaluations of alternative methods. Prompted by the great interest in the first two BCI Competitions, we organized the third BCI Competition to address several of the most difficult and important analysis problems in BCI research. The paper describes the data sets that were provided to the competitors and gives an overview of the results.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Jun 2006
The Wadsworth BCI Research and Development Program: at home with BCI.
The ultimate goal of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is to provide communication and control capacities to people with severe motor disabilities. BCI research at the Wadsworth Center focuses primarily on noninvasive, electroencephalography (EEG)-based BCI methods. We have shown that people, including those with severe motor disabilities, can learn to use sensorimotor rhythms (SMRs) to move a cursor rapidly and accurately in one or two dimensions. ⋯ We are now translating this laboratory-proven BCI technology into a system that can be used by severely disabled people in their homes with minimal ongoing technical oversight. To accomplish this, we have: improved our general-purpose BCI software (BCI2000); improved online adaptation and feature translation for SMR-based BCI operation; improved the accuracy and bandwidth of P300-based BCI operation; reduced the complexity of system hardware and software and begun to evaluate home system use in appropriate users. These developments have resulted in prototype systems for every day use in people's homes.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Jun 2006
Geometric subspace methods and time-delay embedding for EEG artifact removal and classification.
Generalized singular-value decomposition is used to separate multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) into components found by optimizing a signal-to-noise quotient. These components are used to filter out artifacts. Short-time principal components analysis of time-delay embedded EEG is used to represent windowed EEG data to classify EEG according to which mental task is being performed. Examples are presented of the filtering of various artifacts and results are shown of classification of EEG from five mental tasks using committees of decision trees.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Mar 2006
Clinical TrialModulation effects of epidural spinal cord stimulation on muscle activities during walking.
Epidural spinal cord stimulation (ESCS) combined with partial weight bearing therapy (PWBT) has been reported to facilitate recovery of functional walking for individuals after chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (ISCI). Muscle activities were analyzed in this report to examine the modulation effect of ESCS on muscle recruitment during gait training. Two ISCI individuals participated in the study and both are classified as ASIA C with low motor scores in the lower limbs. ⋯ In this case, a stimulation entrainment appeared in time-frequency analysis. The results suggest that ESCS activates neural structures in the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord and facilitates gait-related muscle recruitment. The exact effects of ESCS depend on the electrode placement and possibly injury history and residual functions, but in general ESCS produces a positive effect on improved walking speed, endurance, and reduced sense of effort in both ISCI subjects.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Mar 2006
Dynamic modeling and torque estimation of FES-assisted arm-free standing for paraplegics.
This paper presents an application of recent findings in the field of redundant robotic systems' control, toward investigating the feasibility of functional electrical stimulation (FES) assisted arm-free standing for paraplegics. Twelve degrees-of-freedom (DOF) forward and inverse dynamic models of quiet standing have been developed. These models were used to investigate the minimum number of DOF that would need to be actuated in order to generate stable quiet standing in paraplegics despite internal and external disturbances. ⋯ Another important finding of this study is the existence of six different combinations of six active DOF able to facilitate stable quiet standing. This dynamic redundancy of the biological bipedal stance allows the selection of an ideal subset of six DOF in designing a neuroprosthesis for standing. This further implies that a considerably less complex FES system than previously anticipated needs to be developed for FES-assisted standing.