[Recent advances in rehabilitation technology: a review of the brain-computer interface].
OBJECTIVE
In this work we review some of the options available in rehabilitation technology that are used to aid people with severe neuromuscular disorders, and which take electrophysiological activity as a source of biological signals with which to design interfaces.


METHODS
A number of different researchers have generated a novel communication and control system that utilises the electrical activity of the brain as a signal that represents the messages or commands an individual sends to the outside world, without using the normal output pathways of the brain, such as peripheral nerves and muscles; instead, this is achieved through an artificial system that extracts, encodes and applies them, called a brain-computer interface (BCI). The electrophysiological activity for a BCI can be obtained by means of superficial or implanted electrodes, and may therefore be classified as invasive or non-invasive. Five types of brain signals have been explored for use with a BCI: visual evoked potentials, slow cortical potentials, cortical neuronal activity, beta and mu rhythms, and event-related potentials.


CONCLUSIONS
Thanks to recent improvements and developments in prototypes, this technology is sure to open up new possibilities of communication and control for the affected population; it also represents a valuable field of multidisciplinary research with numerous interesting applications in areas beyond the sphere of health care.
Santana
D
D
Laboratorio de Psicofisiología y Neuropsicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, Mexico.
Ramírez
M
M
Ostrosky-Solís
F
F
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D014584:User-Computer Interface
Novedades en tecnología de rehabilitación: una revisión acerca de la interfaz cerebro-computadora.