Non Invasive Brain Computer Interfaces for Communication and

Control

Fabio BabiloniDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology,

University of Rome “La Sapienza”

Non Invasive Brain Computer Interfaces for Communication and

Control

Fabio BabiloniDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology,

University of Rome “La Sapienza”

Epilepticus sic curabitur ('The way to cure an epileptic')

Sloane Manuscript, collection of medical manuscripts, end of the 12th century - British Museum, London

Technologies for the study of brain functions

Cauterisation (15th century)Image taken from the first medical textbook "Cerrahiyyet'ül Haniyye", written in Ottoman language by the Turkish surgeon Serafettin Sabuncuoglu.

Technologies for the study of brain functions

Hyeronimus Bosch, The stone of madness, El Prado, Madrid

Jan Sanders Van Hemessen (1500-1566), The surgeon 1550, El Prado, Madrid

Variations of EEG waves are correlated with some mental

states

8-12 Hertz, alpha EEG waves

8-12 Hertz, mu EEG waves

“To move things is all that mankind can do; … for such the sole executant is muscle, whether in whispering a syllabe or in felling a forest.”

Sir Charles Sherrington, 1924

What a BCI is

“Brain–computer interfaces (BCI’s) give their users communication and control channels that do not depend on the brain’s normal output channels of

peripheral nerves and muscles.”

“A BCI changes the electrophysiological signals from mere reflections of CNS activity into the

intended product of the activity: messages and commands that act on the world”

Wolpaw, 2002

PsychologicalEffort

(Intention)

Modification ofBrain Signals

Signal Features

ClassificationOf Intent

Increase of Increase of performanceperformance

appropriate feature extraction

appropriate feedback strategy

user

train

ing

com

pu

ter

train

ing

Environment

BCI: logical scheme

Movement-related thoughts elicited specific cortical patterns

Several EEG studies have also demonstrated that imagined movements elicited desynchronization patterns different for right and left movement imaginations

Neuroscientific studies with fMRI have demonstrated that motor and parietal areas are involved in the imagination of the limb movements

Imagined left movement Executed left movement

SINC 200711

Detection of mu rhythm modulation Detection of P300

Detection of steady-state VEPs

Detection of Slow Cortical Potentials

SMR is a 8-12 Hz oscillatory rhythm of the brain’s electrical activity.

It is detected on the central electrode sites (over the sensorimotor cortex)

It is associated with inhibition of motor activity

12

From Wolpaw et al. 2002, Clinph

Sensory motor rhythms

SINC 200713

Detection of mu rhythm modulation Detection of P300

Detection of steady-state VEPs

Detection of Slow Cortical Potentials

The P300 is an event-related potential, dominating at parietal electrode sites.

P300 follows unexpected sensory stimuli or stimuli that provide task related information

P300 speller From Selllers & Donchin 2006, clinph

P300 potentials

Research Applications

Speller“Symbolic” CommunicationGameEnvironment Control“Virtual” Mobility MobilityNeuroprosthesis

Ministero degli Affari EsteriProgetto “Brain Computer Interfaces Between China and Italy (BCI2)”

Speller

Credits:F. AloiseF. Babiloni U. Sapienza, Roma

S. Gao Tsinghua Univ., RPC

B. Hong Tsinghua Univ., RPC

Fondazione Banca Nazionale della ComunicazioneProgetto “Inclusione nella ICT di soggetti affetti da grave disabilità motoria tramite…”

Game

Credits:F. AloiseF. Babiloni U. Sapienza, Roma

Fondazione TelethonProgetto “ASPICE”

“Virtual” Mobility

Credits:F. AloiseG. Oriolo U. Sapienza, Roma

A. Cherubini U. Sapienza, Roma

Credits:J. Millàn IDIAP, CH

M. Nuttin KU Leuven. BF. Cincotti FSL

European Commission – 6th Framework ProgrammeProgetto “MAIA” FP6

Mobility

P300-based control of a domestic environment

Credits:F. BabiloniF.AloiseF. Cincotti FSLM.C. Carrozza SSSA, Pisa

Neuroprosthesis

Future trends

“640 KB RAM will be adequate for everybody in the future”

» Bill Gates, 1981

“It’s always hard to make prediction, especially about the future”

“People will not wear scalp electrodes during normal daylife”

» Chief of Research and Development of a mobile phone company

“Computers are interesting, but the mondial market for them is limited in the future to not more of 5 pieces per year”

» Thomas Watson, IBM president, 1949