and coordination of these modules is accomplished through a fourth operator module; several source modules, signal-processing modules, and user applications have been created for the BCI2000 standard (see http://www. bci2000.org/BCI2000/Home.html).

The Wadsworth Center recently began developing a system for home use by individuals with severe motor impairments. 32 Its basic hardware (see Figure 5) consists of a laptop computer with 16-channel EEG acquisition, a second screen placed in front of the user, and an electrode cap; software is provided by the BCI2000 general-purpose system. 25 The initial users had late-stage ALS, with little or no voluntary movement, and found conventional assistive communication devices inadequate for their needs. The P300-based matrix speller is used for these applications due to its relatively high throughput for spelling and simplicity of use. A 49-year-old scientist with ALS has used this BCI system on a daily basis for approximately three years, finding it superior to his eye-gaze system (a letter-selection device based on eye-gaze direction) and using it from four to six hours per day for email and other communication purposes. 32

How far BCI technology will go and how useful it will be depend on future research developments. However, it is apparent that BCIs can serve the basic communication needs of people whose severe motor disabilities prevent them from using conventional augmentive communications devices, all of which require muscle control.

acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health HD30146 (NCMRR, NICHD) and EB00856 (NIBIB & NINDS) and the James S. McDonnell Foundation. We thank Chad Boulay and Peter Brunner for their comments on the manuscript.

 

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Dennis J. McFarland ( [e-mail]) is a research scientist in the laboratory of neural Injury and repair at the Wadsworth Center of the new york State Department of Health, albany, ny.

Jonathan R. Wolpaw ( [e-mail]) is a research physician in the laboratory of neural Injury and repair in the Wadsworth Center of the new york State Department of Health, albany, ny.