title: On the feasibility of using motor imagery EEG-based brain-computer interface in chronic tetraplegics for assistive robotic arm control: a clinical test and long-term post-trial follow-up.
abstract: METHODS
  Survey and long-term clinical post-trial follow-up (interviews/correspondence) on nine chronic, post spinal cord injury (SCI) tetraplegics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess feasibility of the use of Electroencephalography-based Brain-Computer Interface (EEG-BCI) for reaching/grasping assistance in tetraplegics, through a robotic arm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physical and (neuromuscular) Rehabilitation Medicine, Cardiology, Neurosurgery Clinic Divisions of TEHBA and UMPCD, in collaboration with 'Brain2Robot' (composed of the European Commission-funded Marie Curie Excellence Team by the same name, hosted by Fraunhofer Institute-FIRST), in the second part of 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enrolled patients underwent EEG-BCI preliminary training and robot control sessions. Statistics entailed multiple linear regressions and cluster analysis. A follow-up-custom questionnaire based-including patients' perception of their EEG-BCI control capacity was continued up to 14 months after initial experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EEG-BCI performance/calibration-phase classification accuracy averaged 81.0%; feedback training sessions averaged 70.5% accuracy for 7 subjects who completed at least one feedback training session; 7 (77.7%) of 9 subjects reported having felt control of the cursor; and 3 (33.3%) subjects felt that they were also controlling the robot through their movement imagination. No significant side effects occurred. BCI performance was positively correlated with beta (13-30 Hz) EEG spectral power density (coefficient 0.432, standardized coefficient 0.745, P-value=0.025); another possible influence was sensory AIS score (range: 0 min to 224 max, coefficient -0.177, standardized coefficient -0.512, P=0.089).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limited but real potential for self-assistance in chronic tetraplegics by EEG-BCI-actuated mechatronic devices was found, which was mainly related to spectral density in the beta range positively (increasing therewith) and to AIS sensory score negatively.
authors.affiliation: The Teaching Emergency Hospital Bagdasar-Arseni (TEHBA), Bucharest, Romania. geluonose@clicknet.ro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onose
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grozea
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anghelescu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daia
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sinescu
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ciurea
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spircu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirea
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Andone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spânu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: A-S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mihăescu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fazli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danóczy
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Popescu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D062207:Brain-Computer Interfaces; D002138:Calibration; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult