New Applications for Non-invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces and the Need for Engaging Training Environments

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are able to measure the activity of the human brain and detect and discriminate specific brain patterns. The main application of BCIs has been and is to control assistive devices and provide communication for people who have lost voluntary control of their muscle activity. Recent progress in BCI research, however, has broadened the field of possible applications. Intelligent devices that can compensate for the unreliability of and lack of information content in the BCI signal may become useful for less disabled people as well. Also, neurological rehabilitation and neurofeedback therapies are new emerging BCI applications, where the focus is not on communication and control, but primarily on facilitating effective physiological regulation and cortical reorganization of brain structures. Regardless of the application, learning to voluntarily modulate brain patterns is an integral part of endogenous BCIs. Present-day BCIs seldom provide accurate feedback within an interesting and graphically appealing training environment. Specially designed computer games that provide both a motivational environment and appropriate feedback which facilitates effective learning may be necessary to motivate the users for the long training periods necessary in BCI rehabilitation and neurofeedback therapy applications.