EAGER: Adapting Multi-Modal BCI-Based Assistive Technologies for Patients with High Spinal Cord Injury

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The goal of this research is to advance the brain computer interface (BCI) technology by bringing the technology closer to the needs of patients with high spinal cord injury (SCI). While BCI-based assistive technologies hold a great promise to improve the quality of life of patients with SCI by enabling them to independently perform simple activities of their daily life, several factors have prevented their successful application in practical and clinical settings. A major contributing factor to this problem is related to the secondary health conditions (e.g. chronic pain) that are developed as a result of SCI, but have been largely ignored in BCI research. The presence of pain can negatively impact the control signals acquired from BCIs, and consequently, compromise the operation of the assistive device, thereby, adding to stress, discomfort, and depression for the patient. Using innovative approaches and experiments, this research aims to investigate how the presence of pain impacts the operation of multi-modal BCIs, thereby, promoting the progress of science. By providing an understanding of the effects that pain, the outcome of this work is expected to provide guidelines for developing effective methods for realizing robust and high-performance BCI-based assistive technologies for SCI patients. This project will also offer educational and outreach activities for the unrepresentative researches working in a STEM field.This research aims to advance the non-invasive multi-modal brain computer interface (BCI) technology by bringing the technology closer to the needs of patients with high spinal cord injury (SCI). By collecting information from the brain at two different physiological levels via electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), the number of commands required for controlling assistive devices can be increased. Using innovative approaches, the project will investigate how the presence of pain, a condition that unfortunately most SCI patients live with, will influence the operation of multi-modal BCIs. Different classes of multi-modal BCIs are considered. The results from this project are expected to provide important information and guidelines for developing effective strategies and methods for realizing robust and high-performance BCI-based assistive technologies for SCI patients who are in real need of them.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.