Brain-Computer Interface Brings New Hope
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Author Unknown

Over the past 20 years, a team at Wadsworth has developed a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) device that may provide communication functions to individuals who have lost the ability to breathe, talk, or even move their eyes. A gel-filled cap, which records brain waves from the scalp and then decodes them, allows the user to communicate by making selections on a computer screen. The device may provide Internet access and enable the user to express basic needs, such as a request for food or medication, or allow the operation of environmental controls.

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Wadsworth and HHH staff will now transition the BCI from the laboratory to the home environment via a pilot study that will place the device in selected users' homes. Through an Internet link and periodic visits, researchers will monitor and assess the extent and success of the BCI usage and its impact on quality of life.

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Debra Zeitlin, a rehabilitation technologist specializing in augmentative and alternative communication at the hospital’s Center for Rehabilitation Technology is excited about the potential of the new device. “This advanced technology has the capacity to make a huge difference in the lives of individuals with severe disabilities,” she states.  
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