Abstract:
Brain computer interfaces (BCI) enable humans to communicate without muscle activity. BCIs can be realized by self-regulation of slow cortical potentials (SCP). The Thought Translation Device (TTD) is a BCI based of the SCP-control. It has repeatedly been shown, that most people can learn to achieve SCP-control in the TTD-training. The basic mechanisms of the SCP generation are well understood, but the underlying neural mechanism for acquisition and maintenance of SCP-control are still unknown. For investigating the neuronal correlates of SCP-control using for BCI communication, healthy subjects and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), who were successfully trained to change their SCP in negative and positive direction, examined with simultaneous fMRI and EEG. The results show the involved brain areas while SCP-control under SCP on-line feedback conditions.