A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a communication system that provides a direct connection between the brain and an external device, such as a computer or any other system capable of receiving a signal, without relying on the brain's normal output pathways or peripheral nerves and muscles (Figure 16.1) (Birbaumer, 2006; Birbaumer and Cohen, 2007; Wolpaw, Birbaumer, McFarland, Pfurtscheller, and Vaughan, 2002). BCIs can be used by persons with neurodegenerative and motor diseases who have lost motor function, such as those affected by spinal cord injury (Burns, Adeli, and Buford, 2014; Rupp, 2014), cerebral palsy (Cheron et al., 2012; Scherer et al., 2015; Taherian, Selitskiy, Pau, and Claire Davies, 2015), stroke (Curado et al., 2015; Ramos-Murguialday et al., 2013; Silvoni et al., 2011), or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (Haider et al., 2013; Kiibler et al., 2005; Nijboer et al., 2008; Riccio, Mattia, Simione, Olivetti, and Cincotti, 2012; Schettini et al., 2015; Silvoni et al., 2016; Simon et al., 2014), to continue communicating and interacting with their environment (Bamdad, Zarshenas, and Auais, 2015).
展开▼
