Brain computer interface based functional electrical stimulation: An outline

People affected by spinal cord injury (SCI) are usually unable to move their lower limbs due to inactive control of the muscles from the brain. This lack of movement may lead to further moral and physical complexities such as cardiovascular diseases, bone demineralization and bedsores. Physiotherapy based exercise and training are conventionally advised to such plegic patients, which, hereby, has not been shown to be have ample recovery efficiency. Alternatively, Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a relatively newer technique which uses electrical signals to energize the neurons and excite the tissues in the muscles while producing the corresponding contraction in them. FES alone however requires specific electrical devices to generate and supply certain electrical signals similar to that of generated by human brain. This needs some additional devices to be used as the control system for FES to identify and issue the commands as required from time to time. A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. It uses electrodes, placed on the scalp, to collect signals from the brain structure. A combination of BCI and FES can be a vital solution to cater this issue, as the paralyzed patient can use his own brain electroencephalogram (EEG) as a control system to perform the required movements. This paper discusses their advantages, short comings and latest research advances in this field. Firstly, the significance of FES devices is being introduced and the different technological techniques reported in literature are discussed. Secondly, human brain is introduced as a control system to be employed within BCI systems to generate the required EEG signal activity. Finally, an incorporation of both FES and BCI is suggested to overcome the presiding issues regarding efficient control of the muscles.