Enhancement and Optimization of a Mobile iBCI for Veterans With Paralysis
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
VA research has been advancing a high-performance brain-computer interface (BCI) to improve independence for Veterans and others living with tetraplegia or the inability to speak resulting from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injury or stoke. In this project, the investigators enhance deep learning neural network decoders and multi-state gesture decoding for increased accuracy and reliability and deploy them on a battery-powered mobile BCI device for independent use of computers and touch-enabled mobile devices at home. The accuracy and usability of the mobile iBCI will be evaluated with participants already enrolled separately in the investigational clinical trial of the BrainGate neural interface.
Description
After VA IRB approval, this VA RR\&D study will engage participants in the BrainGate clinical trial (IDE, sponsor-investigator LR Hochberg). This study does not create a new clinical trial or modify the existing clinical trial as already listed on clinicaltrials.gov This project builds on a custom, mobile neural signal processing device with exceptional processing and low power characteristics, which has been developed through previous VA RR\&D funded research. This project takes advantage of the exceptional processing system, previously developed and validated, to create and quantify advance…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Inclusion criteria are extensive and are determined by the associated BrainGate IDE(clinicaltrials.gov # NCT00912041) * Informally, participants will be tetraplegic or anarthric with little or no functional use of the arms and legs Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusion criteria are extensive and are determined by the associated BrainGate IDE(clinicaltrials.gov # NCT00912041).
Interventions
- DeviceMobile neural decoding platform (mobile iBCI)
An embedded neural signal processor device will be evaluated for its ability to provide accurate and reliable closed-loop control in a home-based brain-computer interface.
Location
- Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RIProvidence, Rhode Island