Clinical Evaluation of BCIs

This chapter addresses the following questions: Can the brain-computer interface (BCI) design be implemented in a form suitable for long-term independent use? Who are the people who need the BCI system, and can they use it? Can their home environments support their use of the BCI, and do they actually use it? Does the BCI improve their lives? It considers the steps involved in answering each of these questions and the potential problems that must be overcome. Since the present peer-reviewed literature lacks any formal multisubject studies that address these questions, the discussion relies heavily on personal experience to date, which is primarily with a noninvasive EEG P300-based BCI system. The chapter's overall intent is to provide information and insight that would apply to any effort to take any BCI system out of the lab and validate its effectiveness in the everyday lives of people with disabilities.