S Silvoni1, L Konicar2, M A Prats-Sedano3, E Garcia-Cossio4, C Genna5, C Volpato6, M Cavinato6, A Paggiaro6, S Veser7, D De Massari6, N Birbaumer8. 1. Dept. of Neurophysiology, I.R.C.C.S. S.Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.silvoni@ospedalesancamillo.net. 2. Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany; Dept. for Child- and Adolescent-Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 3. Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Italy. 4. Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. 5. Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH, Duderstadt, Germany. 6. Dept. of Neurophysiology, I.R.C.C.S. S.Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice, Italy. 7. Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany. 8. Dept. of Neurophysiology, I.R.C.C.S. S.Camillo Hospital Foundation, Venice, Italy; Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum für Diabetesforschung (DZD), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We investigated neurophysiological brain responses elicited by a tactile event-related potential paradigm in a sample of ALS patients. Underlying cognitive processes and neurophysiological signatures for brain-computer interface (BCI) are addressed. METHODS: We stimulated the palm of the hand in a group of fourteen ALS patients and a control group of ten healthy participants and recorded electroencephalographic signals in eyes-closed condition. Target and non-target brain responses were analyzed and classified offline. Classification errors served as the basis for neurophysiological brain response sub-grouping. RESULTS: A combined behavioral and quantitative neurophysiological analysis of sub-grouped data showed neither significant between-group differences, nor significant correlations between classification performance and the ALS patients' clinical state. Taking sequential effects of stimuli presentation into account, analyses revealed mean classification errors of 19.4% and 24.3% in healthy participants and ALS patients respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Neurophysiological correlates of tactile stimuli presentation are not altered by ALS. Tactile event-related potentials can be used to monitor attention level and task performance in ALS and may constitute a viable basis for future BCIs. SIGNIFICANCE: Implications for brain-computer interface implementation of the proposed method for patients in critical conditions, such as the late stage of ALS and the (completely) locked-in state, are discussed.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated neurophysiological brain responses elicited by a tactile event-related potential paradigm in a sample of ALSpatients. Underlying cognitive processes and neurophysiological signatures for brain-computer interface (BCI) are addressed. METHODS: We stimulated the palm of the hand in a group of fourteen ALSpatients and a control group of ten healthy participants and recorded electroencephalographic signals in eyes-closed condition. Target and non-target brain responses were analyzed and classified offline. Classification errors served as the basis for neurophysiological brain response sub-grouping. RESULTS: A combined behavioral and quantitative neurophysiological analysis of sub-grouped data showed neither significant between-group differences, nor significant correlations between classification performance and the ALSpatients' clinical state. Taking sequential effects of stimuli presentation into account, analyses revealed mean classification errors of 19.4% and 24.3% in healthy participants and ALSpatients respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Neurophysiological correlates of tactile stimuli presentation are not altered by ALS. Tactile event-related potentials can be used to monitor attention level and task performance in ALS and may constitute a viable basis for future BCIs. SIGNIFICANCE: Implications for brain-computer interface implementation of the proposed method for patients in critical conditions, such as the late stage of ALS and the (completely) locked-in state, are discussed.
Authors: Alexander Heilinger; Rupert Ortner; Vincenzo La Bella; Zulay R Lugo; Camille Chatelle; Steven Laureys; Rossella Spataro; Christoph Guger Journal: Front Neurosci Date: 2018-07-31 Impact factor: 4.677