P300-based brain-computer interface for communication in assistive technology centres: influence of users' profile on BCI access.

Abstract

Objective. Assistive technology (AT) refers to any product that enables people to live independently and with dignity and to participate in activities of daily life. A brain-computer interface (BCI) is an AT that provides an alternative output, based on neurophysiological signals, to control an external device. The aim of the study is to screen patients accessing an AT-centre to investigate their eligibility for BCI access and the factors influencing the BCI control.Approach. Thirty-five users and 11 healthy subjects were included in the study. Participants were required to operate a P300-speller BCI. We evaluated the influence of clinical diagnosis, socio-demographic factors, level of dependence and disability of users, neuropsychological profile on BCI performance.Main results. The 7.1% of the users controlled the system with a mean accuracy of 93.6 ± 8.0%, while 8 users had an online accuracy below 70%. We found that the neuropsychological profile significantly affected online accuracy and ITR.Significance. The percentage of users who had an accuracy considered functional for communication is an encouraging data in terms of BCI effectiveness. The results regarding accuracy and factors influencing (and not influencing) it, are a contribution to the introduction of BCIs in the AT-centres, considering the BCI for communication both as an AT and as an additional input to provide multimodal access to AT.