Canario, Edgar
(2024)
EEG Based Correlates of Attention in Intracortical Brain Computer Interfaces.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) exhibit variable performance across and even within days. A limited number of studies have shown that attention is one factor which can affect performance, but these have primarily looked at EEG-BCI and utilized simplistic tasks which may underestimate the true attentional load real-world BCI users may face. To further examine the impact of attentional load on BCI performance and the motor signal which drives it, we utilized a complex 2D computer cursor translation + click iBCI task paired with an N-Back (N=1,2) task to induce attentional load. We used EEG to quantify attention with theta and alpha band frequency power. We found that performance remained stable across conditions for both participants (P2 and P4). For the most challenging dual-tasking condition, the participants overall firing rate increased, potentially as a compensatory mechanism to maintain performance. P4 displayed changes in theta during the hardest dual-tasking condition but with no changes in performance or the neural motor signal. When we examined the effect of increases in neural correlates of attention on performance and the motor signal of each trial, combined across single- and dual-tasking, in a multi-variate regression, we found P2 exhibited decreases in performance and degradation of the motor signal. P4’s performance improved instead, despite similar degradations of most motor signal metrics. These subject specific effects may be due to P4’s higher baseline performance as a result of his newer implant allowing greater control that is less vulnerable to attentional load. Overall, the effects of attention in iBCI performance were small, indicating the robustness of iBCI to high attentional load. We were also able to measure attentional changes through EEG during simultaneous intracortical recording. This lays the groundwork for future studies that wish to take advantage of a dual-modality setup in humans.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
3 June 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
8 March 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
3 June 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
6 March 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
64 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Swanson School of Engineering > Bioengineering |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Neuroprosthetics, Brain-computer interfaces, Attention, Dual-tasking |
| Date Deposited: |
03 Jun 2024 14:42 |
| Last Modified: |
03 Jun 2024 14:42 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/45843 |
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