Optimal pseudorandom sequence selection for online c-VEP based BCI control applications

BACKGROUND In a c-VEP BCI setting, test subjects can have highly varying performances when different pseudorandom sequences are applied as stimulus, and ideally, multiple codes should be supported. On the other hand, repeating the experiment with many different pseudorandom sequences is a laborious process. AIMS This study aimed to suggest an efficient method for choosing the optimal stimulus sequence based on a fast test and simple measures to increase the performance and minimize the time consumption for research trials. METHODS A total of 21 healthy subjects were included in an online wheelchair control task and completed the same task using stimuli based on the m-code, the gold-code, and the Barker-code. Correct/incorrect identification and time consumption were obtained for each identification. Subject-specific templates were characterized and used in a forward-step first-order model to predict the chance of completion and accuracy score. RESULTS No specific pseudorandom sequence showed superior accuracy on the group basis. When isolating the individual performances with the highest accuracy, time consumption per identification was not significantly increased. The Accuracy Score aids in predicting what pseudorandom sequence will lead to the best performance using only the templates. The Accuracy Score was higher when the template resembled a delta function the most and when repeated templates were consistent. For completion prediction, only the shape of the template was a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS The simple and fast method presented in this study as the Accuracy Score, allows c-VEP based BCI systems to support multiple pseudorandom sequences without increase in trial length. This allows for more personalized BCI systems with better performance to be tested without increased costs.