AUTHOR=Muenssinger Jana I. , Halder Sebastian , Kleih Sonja C., Furdea Adrian , Raco Valerio , Hoesle Adi , Kubler Andrea 

TITLE=Brain Painting: First Evaluation of a New Brain–Computer Interface Application with ALS-Patients and Healthy Volunteers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2010

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2010.00182

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2010.00182

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<p>Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) enable paralyzed patients to communicate; however, up to date, no creative expression was possible. The current study investigated the accuracy and user-friendliness of P300-Brain Painting, a new BCI application developed to paint pictures using brain activity only. Two different versions of the P300-Brain Painting application were tested: A colored matrix tested by a group of ALS-patients (<italic>n</italic> = 3) and healthy participants (<italic>n</italic> = 10), and a black and white matrix tested by healthy participants (<italic>n</italic> = 10). The three ALS-patients achieved high accuracies; two of them reaching above 89% accuracy. In healthy subjects, a comparison between the P300-Brain Painting application (colored matrix) and the P300-Spelling application revealed significantly lower accuracy and P300 amplitudes for the P300-Brain Painting application. This drop in accuracy and P300 amplitudes was not found when comparing the P300-Spelling application to an adapted, black and white matrix of the P300-Brain Painting application. By employing a black and white matrix, the accuracy of the P300-Brain Painting application was significantly enhanced and reached the accuracy of the P300-Spelling application. ALS-patients greatly enjoyed P300-Brain Painting and were able to use the application with the same accuracy as healthy subjects. P300-Brain Painting enables paralyzed patients to express themselves creatively and to participate in the prolific society through exhibitions.</p>