Study of a communication support system for ALS patients based on changes in cerebral ongoing activity

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12605
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: TANAKA NAOKI 東洋大学, 理工学部, 教授 (10416943)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): OZAWA Kuniaki 東洋大学, 工業技術研究所, 客員研究員 (70571719) ; NAITO Masayoshi 東洋大学, 工業技術研究所, 客員研究員 (90336321)
• Research Collaborator: KUDO HarumiChristie
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 意思伝達 / 側索硬化症 / 脳背景活動 / グレンジャー因果性 / 近赤外分光法 / 脳波 / 脳血液量 / サポートベクターマシン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Oscillations in cerebral hemodynamics carry the information on the cerebral ongoing activity. This activity also changes when the cerebral state changes. In this study, the relationships among oscillations in cerebral hemodynamics, heart rate, and alpha wave amplitude were examined, and the relationships were used for a communication system for ALS patients. The examination of the relationships in ALS patients and healthy subjects by using Granger causality revealed that the relationship in the patients was the same as that in heathy subjects. Task execution changed the relationships. Yes/No communication system based on this phenomenon gave as high separability as 90%, which suggested that this approach was promising for a communication system for ALS patients.

Free Research Field

脳科学