Amy Wagner
The goal of this clinical trial is to test how effective the mindBEAGLE device is in allowing people who are unconscious (due to a brain injury or other condition) to communicate using brain waves to answer Yes/No questions. Participants will wear a cap that will be connected to a computer that measures brain waves, wrist bands that vibrate at different strengths, and ear phones that create different levels of loud tones and will be asked to associate Yes/No answers with the vibrations or tones. They will also be asked to "think about" moving different parts of their body to answer Yes or No. The mindBEAGLE device has already been proven effective for this kind of communication in a previous study, and the study team would like to trial it on a population of unconscious people who enter the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute to see if patients are able to be trained to use the device as part of their everyday inpatient rehabilitation until they are discharged, or until they are able to regain consciousness.
The team's research reflects an integrated clinical and research team who will characterize and implement an aggressive and innovative approach using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) evaluation, prognostication, and rehabilitation care. The work proposed strives for equity in accessing healthcare systems and technology effectively, even among vulnerable individuals with profound levels of disability due to their DoC state. The "gold-standard" for assessing cognitive capacity among patients with DoC relies on behavioral response observations and ne…
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 16-65 * Medically able to tolerate Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) rehabilitation program as determined by UPMC Physicians * Locked in Syndrome (LIS) patients who show clinical evidence of intact cognition via some form of alternative communication methods * Clinically assessed capacity for functional improvement in the rehabilitation environment * Measuring improvements with pharmacological stimulation (using JFK Coma Recovery Scale) * Electrophysiological prognostic testing confirming brain activity. Exclusion Criteria: * Coma * Bilateral non-response with stand…
If participants are considered responsive, they will continue to use the device daily for the remainder of their stay at inpatient rehab, or until they regain consciousness.