BciAi4Sla Project

Topics

What we are looking for, this is our challenge.

purpose

The project intends to develop a software platform (BciAi4Sla) capable of restoring a communication channel in patients who have compromised their communication possibilities due to illness or accidents. The most common case is that of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

needs in the area

The situation of ALS patients in the Piedmont area is specifically controlled by the regional expert center for ALS (CRESLA) of Turin which is the Regional Reference Center for ALS (DGR 30 December 2009, n. 27-12969). The research activities of CRESLA are aimed at the study of ALS on the epidemiological, clinical, cognitive, genetic, neuropathological and neurobiological aspects..

technology

The Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI), are interfaces that put the user in communication with an electronic device through the brain activity he voluntarily produced.

goals

Our ultimate goal is to get to have a software platform (and hardware) (BciAI4Sla) that allows, through BCI devices and the possible help of wearable sensors, the direct communication between brain and surrounding digital environment (made of smartphone, tablets, robots, and smart objects, etc.) in an easy, usable, ergonomic and adaptive way with respect to the end user.

study and implementation of cognitive tests based on bci

A series of cognitive tests that can be administered through innovative man-machine interfaces aimed at evaluating the best mental activities detectable by BCI will be studied and implemented.

testing

The above tests will be tested first with patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in LIS and CLIS. In a second phase of testing, based on the results of tests on mental activities, the BciAI4Sla platform will then be tested with patients.

data collection analysis

The raw data (brain waves) collected through the BCI devices via EEG will then be analyzed with additional learning and classification algorithms in order to extrapolate as accurately as possible the input data requested by the user. The processed and classified signals will then be correlated with the known answers requested to the users, in order to evaluate the percentage of correct data collected by the BCI and then classified by the algorithms designed and tested.

bci platform development

Following the analysis of the data and the success / failure of the mental activities experimented with the users, a software platform (BciAi4Sla) will be developed in a collaborative, participatory and user-centered way that will allow, through the BCI devices and other wearable sensors of any support, the interaction between the ALS patient and a dedicated communication system.

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