For a great many of us, the idea of being completely trapped in one’s body is an alien thought, difficult to conceive of and a remote possibility. For many, this is a reality. Locked-In Syndrome or LIS is a situation wherein the patient lacks all form of motor or communications function but retains all of their mental faculties. The most patients in this situation can manage is simple eye movement via blinks and eye movement. Despite that, they are otherwise mentally present and fully aware of their surroundings. Causes can range from diseases in the circulatory system, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and brain injury. It is a legitimately disparaging and horrifying condition for any human being to deal with.
That’s why Professor Niels Birbaumer’s work is of such interest.
His BCI or Brain-Computer Interface is designed to, effectively, read the minds of patients caught in LIS and allow them to communicate, granting them the ability to make requests and interact with the outside world, albeit with a limited fashion. In a journal published on January 31st of this year, Birbaumer and his team revealed that they assembled four patients in severely advanced stages of ALS–also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease–for these trials to see if his BCI worked. Each of these patients lacked any form of communication including any kind of eye movement since at least 2014.
Over the course of ten days, Birbaumer asked four patients with ALS a series of questions. The BCI, in turn, used “near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with electroencephalography (EEG) to measure blood oxygenation and electrical activity in the brain” according to the website for the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva where Birbaumer is currently working. Each patient was fitted with a cap with the requisite sensors attached and the testing began.
Image courtesy wysscenter.ch
Every patient responded.
Over the course of the trials each patient was asked a series of questions that required only yes or no answers. These ranged from factual questions to more open-ended ones, such as asking the patients if they were happy or if they wished to continue living on ventilators. Patients responded using the device with an “above-chance-level correct response rate over 70%.” According to the journal.
“We were initially surprised at the positive responses when we questioned the four completely locked-in participants about their quality of life.” Said Birbaumer. “All four had accepted artificial ventilation in order to sustain their life when breathing became impossible so, in a sense, they had already chosen to live. What we observed was as long as they received satisfactory care at home, they found their quality of life acceptable. It is for this reason, if we could make this technique widely clinically available, it would have a huge impact on the day-to-day life of people with complete locked-in syndrome.”
Image Courtesy wysscenter.ch
The impact of such a medical success cannot be understated. Even a basic understanding of law and medicine in regards to patient consent shows how important such technology is, let alone where it will grow with further improvements such as full communication and even command of devices for physical interaction. In addition, this technology could be used to reach patients who are potententially misdiagnosed as being in a coma when they actually have LIS.
So next time someone says the Ice Bucket Challenge was stupid, shove this in their face.
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Feature image courtesy wysscenter.ch
Mike Is a GTA Local Technology and Geek Interest Writer Having Worked in the Field for Nearly Ten Years as a Contributing Writer and Editor for Various Publications in Fashion, Entertainment, Gaming and News. Since Then He’s Offered a Variety of Opinions on Things and Then Moves on to the Next Bit of News That Interested Him. He Has Remained Properly Unfashionable Since 1987 and Plans to Stay That Way.
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Made device for reading human thoughts / human mind reading machine / Brain computer interface. In particular, I have created a perfect Speech Generating Device for people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / ALS. Assistive technology or Augmentative and alternative communication. About the problem look : Jack Gallant, Tom Mitchell and Marcel Just; John – Dylan Haynes, human mind reading machine. The discovery has not been published.
I live in Russia and I can’t to publish my discovery – first practical device for reading human thoughts or Brain Computer interface.
Данная работа ложная!
I am not sure how I would manage the world if I could not speak, but everything else about me worked just fine. Research like this is priceless and very important for the future of humankind!
The Ice Bucket Challenge was good for many reasons. This is just one of them, thank you for the article!
I think the most shocking information is in regards to the overall success of the responses. That speaks a lot for what these doctors are doing.
I see more and more technology bringing the chance for patients that cannot speak, hear or see to overcome those issues. I really like how the healthcare industry is moving forward with tech!