Brain-Computer Interfacing for Users with Cerebral Palsy, Challenges and Opportunities

It has been proposed that hybrid Brain-computer interfaces (hBCIs) could benefit individuals with Cerebral palsy (CP). To this end we review the results of two BCI studies undertaken with a total of 20 individuals with CP to determine if individuals in this user group can achieve BCI control. Large performance differences are found between individuals. These are investigated to determine their possible causes. Differences in subject characteristics are observed to significantly relate to BCI performance accuracy. Additionally, significant relationships are also found between some subject characteristics and EEG components that are important for BCI control. Therefore, it is suggested that knowledge of individual users may guide development towards overcoming the challenges involved in providing BCIs that work well for individuals with CP