Dennis J. McFarland

BCI2000: a general-purpose brain-computer interface (BCI) system

Many laboratories have begun to develop brain-computer interface (BCI) systems that provide communication and control capabilities to people with severe motor disabilities. Further progress and realization of practical applications depends on systematic evaluations and comparisons of different brain signals, recording methods, processing algorithms, output formats, and operating protocols. However, the typical BCI system is designed specifically for one particular BCI method and is, therefore, not suited to the systematic studies that are essential for continued progress. In response to this problem, we have developed a documented general-purpose BCI research and development platform called BCI2000. BCI2000 can incorporate alone or in combination any brain signals, signal processing methods, output devices, and operating protocols. This report is intended to describe to investigators, biomedical engineers, and computer scientists the concepts that the BCI2000 system is based upon and gives examples of successful BCI implementations using this system. To date, we have used BCI2000 to create BCI systems for a variety of brain signals, processing methods, and applications. The data show that these systems function well in online operation and that BCI2000 satisfies the stringent real-time requirements of BCI systems. By substantially reducing labor and cost, BCI2000 facilitates the implementation of different BCI systems and other psychophysiological experiments. It is available with full documentation and free of charge for research or educational purposes and is currently being used in a variety of studies by many research groups.

Brain-computer interface technology: a review of the first international meeting

Over the past decade, many laboratories have begun to explore brain-computer interface (BCI) technology as a radically new communication option for those with neuromuscular impairments that prevent them from using conventional augmentative communication methods. BCIs provide these users with communication channels that do not depend on peripheral nerves and muscles. This article summarizes the first international meeting devoted to BCI research and development. Current BCIs use electroencephalographic (EEG) activity recorded at the scalp or single-unit activity recorded from within cortex to control cursor movement, select letters or icons, or operate a neuroprosthesis. The central element in each BCI is a translation algorithm that converts electrophysiological input from the user into output that controls external devices. BCI operation depends on effective interaction between two adaptive controllers, the user who encodes his or her commands in the electrophysiological input provided to the BCI, and the BCI which recognizes the commands contained in the input and expresses them in device control. Current BCIs have maximum information transfer rates of 5-25 b/min. Achievement of greater speed and accuracy depends on improvements in signal processing, translation algorithms, and user training. These improvements depend on increased interdisciplinary cooperation between neuroscientists, engineers, computer programmers, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists, and on adoption and widespread application of objective methods for evaluating alternative methods. The practical use of BCI technology depends on the development of appropriate applications, identification of appropriate user groups, and careful attention to the needs and desires of individual users. BCI research and development will also benefit from greater emphasis on peer-reviewed publications, and from adoption of standard venues for presentations and discussion.

An EEG-based brain-computer interface for cursor control ☆

This study began development of a new communication and control modality for individuals with severe motor deficits. We trained normal subjects to use the 8-12 Hz mu rhythm recorded from the scalp over the central sulcus of one hemisphere to move a cursor from the center of a video screen to a target located at the top or bottom edge. Mu rhythm amplitude was assessed by on-line frequency analysis and translated into cursor movement: larger amplitudes moved the cursor up and smaller amplitudes moved it down. Over several weeks, subjects learned to change mu rhythm amplitude quickly and accurately, so that the cursor typically reached the target in 3 sec. The parameters that translated mu rhythm amplitudes into cursor movements were derived from evaluation of the distributions of amplitudes in response to top and bottom targets. The use of these distributions was a distinctive feature of this study and the key factor in its success. Refinements in training procedures and in the distribution-based method used to translate mu rhythm amplitudes into cursor movements should further improve this 1-dimensional control. Achievement of 2-dimensional control is under study. The mu rhythm may provide a significant new communication and control option for disabled individuals.

Spatial filter selection for EEG-based communication

Individuals can learn to control the amplitude of mu-rhythm activity in the EEG recorded over sensorimotor cortex and use it to move a cursor to a target on a video screen. The speed and accuracy of cursor movement depend on the consistency of the control signal and on the signal-to-noise ratio achieved by the spatial and temporal filtering methods that extract the activity prior to its translation into cursor movement. The present study compared alternative spatial filtering methods. Sixty-four channel EEG data collected while well-trained subjects were moving the cursor to targets at the top or bottom edge of a video screen were analyzed offline by four different spatial filters, namely a standard ear-reference, a common average reference (CAR), a small Laplacian (3 cm to set of surrounding electrodes) and a large Laplacian (6 cm to set of surrounding electrodes). The CAR and large Laplacian methods proved best able to distinguish between top and bottom targets. They were significantly superior to the ear-reference method. The difference in performance between the large Laplacian and small Laplacian methods presumably indicated that the former was better matched to the topographical extent of the EEG control signal. The results as a whole demonstrate the importance of proper spatial filter selection for maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio and thereby improving the speed and accuracy of EEG-based communication.

A comparison of classification techniques for the P300 Speller.

This study assesses the relative performance characteristics of five established classification techniques on data collected using the P300 Speller paradigm, originally described by Farwell and Donchin (1988 Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol. 70 510). Four linear methods: Pearsons correlation method (PCM), Fishers linear discriminant (FLD), stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SWLDA) and a linear support vector machine (LSVM); and one nonlinear method: Gaussian kernel support vector machine (GSVM), are compared for classifying offline data from eight users. The relative performance of the classifiers is evaluated, along with the practical concerns regarding the implementation of the respective methods. The results indicate that while all methods attained acceptable performance levels, SWLDA and FLD provide the best overall performance and implementation characteristics for practical classification of P300 Speller data.

Toward enhanced P300 speller performance

This study examines the effects of expanding the classical P300 feature space on the classification performance of data collected from a P300 speller paradigm [Farwell LA, Donchin E. Talking off the top of your head: toward a mental prosthesis utilizing event-related brain potentials. Electroenceph Clin Neurophysiol 1988;70:510-23]. Using stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SWLDA) to construct a classifier, the effects of spatial channel selection, channel referencing, data decimation, and maximum number of model features are compared with the intent of establishing a baseline not only for the SWLDA classifier, but for related P300 speller classification methods in general. By supplementing the classical P300 recording locations with posterior locations, online classification performance of P300 speller responses can be significantly improved using SWLDA and the favorable parameters derived from the offline comparative analysis.

Mu and Beta Rhythm Topographies During Motor Imagery and Actual Movements

People can learn to control the 8-12 Hz mu rhythm and/or the 18-25 Hz beta rhythm in the EEG recorded over sensorimotor cortex and use it to control a cursor on a video screen. Subjects often report using motor imagery to control cursor movement, particularly early in training. We compared in untrained subjects the EEG topographies associated with actual hand movement to those associated with imagined hand movement. Sixty-four EEG channels were recorded while each of 33 adults moved left- or right-hand or imagined doing so. Frequency-specific differences between movement or imagery and rest, and between right- and left-hand movement or imagery, were evaluated by scalp topographies of voltage and r spectra, and principal component analysis. Both movement and imagery were associated with mu and beta rhythm desynchronization. The mu topographies showed bilateral foci of desynchronization over sensorimotor cortices, while the beta topographies showed peak desynchronization over the vertex. Both mu and beta rhythm left/right differences showed bilateral central foci that were stronger on the right side. The independence of mu and beta rhythms was demonstrated by differences for movement and imagery for the subjects as a group and by principal components analysis. The results indicated that the effects of imagery were not simply an attenuated version of the effects of movement. They supply evidence that motor imagery could play an important role in EEG-based communication, and suggest that mu and beta rhythms might provide independent control signals.

Patients with ALS can use sensorimotor rhythms to operate a brain-computer interface

People with severe motor disabilities can maintain an acceptable quality of life if they can communicate. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which do not depend on muscle control, can provide communication. Four people severely disabled by ALS learned to operate a BCI with EEG rhythms recorded over sensorimotor cortex. These results suggest that a sensorimotor rhythm–based BCI could help maintain quality of life for people with ALS.

Multichannel EEG-based brain-computer communication.

Individuals who are paralyzed or have other severe movement disorders often need alternative means for communicating with and controlling their environments. In this study, human subjects learned to use two channels of bipolar EEG activity to control 2-dimensional movement of a cursor on a computer screen. Amplitudes of 8-12 Hz activity in the EEG recorded from the scalp across right and left central sulci were determined by fast Fourier transform and combined to control vertical and horizontal cursor movements simultaneously. This independent control of two separate EEG channels cannot be attributed to a non-specific change in brain activity and appeared to be specific to the mu rhythm frequency range. With further development, multichannel EEG-based communication may prove of significant value to those with severe motor disabilities.

A P300 event-related potential brain–computer interface (BCI): The effects of matrix size and inter stimulus interval on performance

We describe a study designed to assess properties of a P300 brain-computer interface (BCI). The BCI presents the user with a matrix containing letters and numbers. The user attends to a character to be communicated and the rows and columns of the matrix briefly intensify. Each time the attended character is intensified it serves as a rare event in an oddball sequence and it elicits a P300 response. The BCI works by detecting which character elicited a P300 response. We manipulated the size of the character matrix (either 3 x 3 or 6 x 6) and the duration of the inter stimulus interval (ISI) between intensifications (either 175 or 350 ms). Online accuracy was highest for the 3 x 3 matrix 175-ms ISI condition, while bit rate was highest for the 6 x 6 matrix 175-ms ISI condition. Average accuracy in the best condition for each subject was 88%. P300 amplitude was significantly greater for the attended stimulus and for the 6 x 6 matrix. This work demonstrates that matrix size and ISI are important variables to consider when optimizing a BCI system for individual users and that a P300-BCI can be used for effective communication.