Brain-Computer Interface Implant for Severe Communication Disability

用于治疗严重沟通障碍的脑机接口植入物

• 批准号: 9770828
• 负责人: NATHAN E CRONE
• 金额: $ 62.7万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER UTRECHT
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9770828
• 关键词: Academic Medical Centers; Achievement; Address; Advanced Development; Algorithms; Area; Articulation; Attention; Baltimore; Basic Science; Blinking; Brain; Caregivers; Clinical; Clinical Treatment; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive; Communication; Communication Disability; Communication impairment; Computer software; Computers; Devices; Diagnostic; Electrodes; Electrophysiology (science); Ensure; Environment; Epilepsy; Eye; Eye Movements; Face; Family; Feasibility Studies; Freedom; Frequencies; Friends; Future; Generations; Gestures; Goals; Hand; Home environment; Hospitals; Human; Implant; Journals; Knowledge; Learning; Left; Letters; Locked-In Syndrome; Medicine; Motor; Motor Cortex; Netherlands; Neurosciences; New England; Operative Surgical Procedures; Outcome Measure; Paralysed; Participant; Patient Recruitments; Patients; Pattern; Performance; Positioning Attribute; Privacy; Publishing; Quality of life; Reporting; Research; Route; Scientist; Signal Transduction; Speech; Speech Synthesizers; Speed; Stream; Structure; System; Tablet Computer; Techniques; Technology; Time; Training; Translating; Universities; Wireless Technology; Writing; base; brain computer interface; caregiver functioning; density; finger movement; flexibility; implantable device; improved; loved ones; nervous system disorder; neuroregulation; relating to nervous system; satisfaction; sound; source localization; spelling; vocalization

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Patients with Locked-In Syndrome (LIS) are cognitively intact but unable to move or communicate except through eye blinks or limited (vertical) eye movements. For many patients suffering from this predicament, self-initiated communication is no longer possible, and they are unable to start a conversation, ask a question, or draw caregiver attention. Having no other means of interacting with family or friends, these LIS patients lack privacy and any degree of independence. Recently, a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) device was successfully implanted in a locked-in patient with late stage ALS. By modulating her brain signals, this patient was able to select letters and spell words. The breakthrough was that, for the first time, a BCI system performed well enough to enable use at home without the need for experts. This was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Yet, the rate of spelling was only 2 characters per minute, which clearly needs to be improved. In this collaborative early-feasibility study between the University Medical Center Utrecht (The Netherlands), the Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore), and the Neuromodulation Research unit of Medtronic (Minneapolis), we will use a significantly improved version of the implant device to develop faster and more versatile BCI control techniques for home use. The overall goal of the research is 1) to prove that the basic functionality of this BCI is generalizable to other patients with LIS (AIM1), and 2) to expand current BCI capabilities through research along 3 avenues aiming to achieve A) multidimensional item selection (avenue ‘Multiselect’) that would allow patients to choose among multiple menu options, B) 2D cursor control (avenue ‘Navigate’) that would allow point-and-click use of a computer, similar to that of eye trackers for users with normal eye movements, and C) vocalization through a speech synthesizer (avenue ‘Speak’) (AIM2), which would greatly enhance communication and quality of life. A total of nine LIS patients will participate for one year each, during and after which they may continue to use the BCI system at home. An additional 16 patients with electrode grids implanted for unrelated diagnostic purposes (epilepsy surgery) will be included for the development of advanced decoding algorithms, utilizing clinical 256-channel recording systems. The study will demonstrate the feasibility of providing LIS patients with an alternative means of communication, thereby moving the current state of the art in human neuroscience to the realm of clinical treatment for severe communication disorders.

项目概要/摘要 锁定综合症 (LIS) 患者认知能力完好，但无法移动或交流，除非 对于许多患有这种困境的患者来说，通过眨眼或有限的（垂直）眼球运动。 自发的沟通不再可能，他们无法开始对话、提出问题、 这些 LIS 患者没有其他方式与家人或朋友互动。 缺乏隐私和任何程度的独立性最近出现了一种脑机接口（BCI）设备。 通过调节该患者的大脑信号，成功将其植入患有晚期 ALS 的锁定患者体内。 能够选择字母和拼写单词 突破在于，这是第一次使用 BCI 系统。 性能良好，无需专家即可在家使用。这已发表在《New》上。 然而，《英格兰医学杂志》的拼写速度仅为每分钟 2 个字符，这显然需要。 在乌得勒支大学医学中心之间的合作早期可行性研究中，这一点有待改进。 （荷兰）、约翰·霍普金斯大学（巴尔的摩）和神经调节研究单位 美敦力（明尼阿波利斯），我们将使用显着改进的植入设备版本来更快地开发 以及更通用的家用 BCI 控制技术 该研究的总体目标是 1) 证明这一点。 该 BCI 的基本功能可推广到其他 LIS 患者 (AIM1)，以及 2) 扩展当前的 BCI 能力通过 3 个途径进行研究，旨在实现 A) 多维项目选择 （途径“多重选择”）允许患者在多个菜单选项中进行选择，B）2D 光标控制 （大道“导航”）将允许点击式使用计算机，类似于眼动仪 具有正常眼球运动的用户，以及 C) 通过语音合成器发声（途径“说话”） (AIM2)，这将大大提高沟通和生活质量，总共有 9 名 LIS 患者。 每人参加一年，在此期间和之后他们可以继续在家使用 BCI 系统。 另外 16 名因不相关诊断目的（癫痫手术）而植入电极网格的患者将 包括利用临床 256 通道记录来开发高级解码算法 该研究将证明为 LIS 患者提供替代方法的可行性。 沟通，从而将人类神经科学的当前最先进水平转移到临床领域 治疗严重的沟通障碍。