An online three-class Transcranial Doppler ultrasound brain computer interface

•Evaluated two new cognitive tasks that can be performed without visual task cues.•3D-shape tracing task more discernible than fist motor imagery task.•Demonstrated feasibility of a three-class online TCD BCI.•Achieved mean agreement of κ=0.43±0.17 using linear discriminant classifier.•Achieved impr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience research 2016-06, Vol.107, p.47-56
Main Authors: Goyal, Anuja, Samadani, Ali-Akbar, Guerguerian, Anne-Marie, Chau, Tom
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Brain computer interface
Brain-Computer Interfaces
Cognition
Female
Humans
Imagination
Lateralization
Male
Middle Cerebral Artery - physiology
Motor imagery task
Online
Online Systems
Photic Stimulation
Spatial task
Transcranial Doppler ultrasound
Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
Verbal Behavior
Young Adult
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Summary:•Evaluated two new cognitive tasks that can be performed without visual task cues.•3D-shape tracing task more discernible than fist motor imagery task.•Demonstrated feasibility of a three-class online TCD BCI.•Achieved mean agreement of κ=0.43±0.17 using linear discriminant classifier.•Achieved improved information transfer rates to previous online TCD BCI studies. Brain computer interfaces (BCI) can provide communication opportunities for individuals with severe motor disabilities. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) measures cerebral blood flow velocities and can be used to develop a BCI. A previously implemented TCD BCI system used verbal and spatial tasks as control signals; however, the spatial task involved a visual cue that awkwardly diverted the user's attention away from the communication interface. Therefore, vision-independent right-lateralized tasks were investigated. Using a bilateral TCD BCI, ten participants controlled online, an on-screen keyboard using a left-lateralized task (verbal fluency), a right-lateralized task (fist motor imagery or 3D-shape tracing), and unconstrained rest. 3D-shape tracing was generally more discernible from other tasks than was fist motor imagery. Verbal fluency, 3D-shape tracing and unconstrained rest were distinguished from each other using a linear discriminant classifier, achieving a mean agreement of κ=0.43±0.17. These rates are comparable to the best offline three-class TCD BCI accuracies reported thus far. The online communication system achieved a mean information transfer rate (ITR) of 1.08±0.69bits/min with values reaching up to 2.46bits/min, thereby exceeding the ITR of previous online TCD BCIs. These findings demonstrate the potential of a three-class online TCD BCI that does not require visual task cues.
ISSN:0168-0102
1872-8111
DOI:10.1016/j.neures.2015.12.013