title: The influence of central neuropathic pain in paraplegic patients on performance of a motor imagery based Brain Computer Interface.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to test how the presence of central neuropathic pain (CNP) influences the performance of a motor imagery based Brain Computer Interface (BCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this electroencephalography (EEG) based study, we tested BCI classification accuracy and analysed event related desynchronisation (ERD) in 3 groups of volunteers during imagined movements of their arms and legs. The groups comprised of nine able-bodied people, ten paraplegic patients with CNP (lower abdomen and legs) and nine paraplegic patients without CNP. We tested two types of classifiers: a 3 channel bipolar montage and classifiers based on common spatial patterns (CSPs), with varying number of channels and CSPs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paraplegic patients with CNP achieved higher classification accuracy and had stronger ERD than paraplegic patients with no pain for all classifier configurations. Highest 2-class classification accuracy was achieved for CSP classifier covering wider cortical area: 82±7% for patients with CNP, 82±4% for able-bodied and 78±5% for patients with no pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presence of CNP improves BCI classification accuracy due to stronger and more distinct ERD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of the study show that CNP is an important confounding factor influencing the performance of motor imagery based BCI based on ERD.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Division, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. Electronic address: Aleksandra.Vuckovic@glasgow.ac.uk.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vuckovic
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Division, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Department of Biomedical Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Division, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Osuagwu
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.affiliation: Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK; Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nasseroleslami
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D062207:Brain-Computer Interfaces; D015897:Comorbidity; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: BCI; Central neuropathic pain; EEG; Event related synchronisation/desynchronisation; Motor imagery; Paraplegia