In the 21st century, clinical research on brain-computer interface (BCI) has achieved groundbreaking progress. BCI establishes a communication and control pathway between the brain and the external environment, independent of peripheral nerves and muscles, enabling direct interaction between the brain and external devices. As a significant interdisciplinary field between neurosurgery and biomedical engineering, BCI technology provides a novel and effective surgical approach for the restoration of brain function in patients with severe brain and nerve injuries.
Types of Brain-Computer Interfaces
The BCI system mainly consists of signal acquisition input, interaction paradigms, feature encoding and decoding, and output feedback modules. Based on the method of signal input, BCIs can be classified into invasive and non-invasive systems. According to interaction paradigms, BCIs can be categorized as active, reactive, and passive interfaces. From the perspective of signal encoding and decoding, BCIs can be divided into unimodal and multimodal systems. Depending on feedback style, BCIs can be distinguished as unidirectional or bidirectional systems.
Brain Function Restoration
BCI technology is expected to transform neurorehabilitation concepts and open new avenues for brain function restoration in patients with cognitive impairments, disorders of consciousness, hemiplegia, and paraplegia. Its applications in the diagnosis and treatment of various brain and spinal cord functional disorders can be broadly divided into four key areas: monitoring and identification, communication and control, rehabilitation training, and neuromodulation.
Different neurological conditions require tailored applications of BCI technology. For example, patients with severe motor impairments caused by stroke or spinal cord injury may require control over external assistive tools or intelligent environments. Patients who have lost speech function due to stroke or conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may require reconstruction of their ability to express communicative intent. For individuals with disorders of consciousness, identification of residual communication and motor intention is particularly critical. In addition, various neurological diseases may result in shared deficits in sensory perception, motor control, cognition, or speech functions. BCI technology can provide targeted assistance addressing specific functional impairments caused by these conditions.