Even though they are totally conscious and intellectually intact, those afflicted with "locked-in syndrome," find movement and speech impossible. A rare medical condition, it is caused by a brain stem stroke or Lou Gehrig's disease. As a result of research being carried out by USF psychologist Emanuel Donchin and his colleagues, however, these individuals may eventually regain the ability to communicate their thoughts and desires via a brain-computer interface (BCI) system.

The BCI system is linked to the P-300 response, a brain wave response discovered in 1965 which has focused Donchin's research for 40 years. Once the BCI captures the P-300 response, it enables users to "write" on a virtual keyboard with the response serving as the virtual finger. Users can essentially "hunt and peck" on the keyboard by using the power of their brain.

Donchin says there is general consensus in the field that the P-300/BCI is ready for use by patients, but the current challenge is increasing its speed and developing a home version that is cost-effective to manufacture and sell.

Read the complete article in USF Magazine (page 20).

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