Fatigue in children using motor imagery and P300 brain-computer interfaces.
Joanna Rg Keough, Brian Irvine, Dion Kelly and 4 others
PMID 38658998WHAT IT FOUND
BCI tasks were not more fatiguing than a film, although fatigue rose after 30-minute tasks.
The brain-wave fatigue marker did not match the reported fatigue.
Key findings
01BCI tasks were not more fatiguing than the film task, although fatigue increased after 30-minute tasks.
02Alpha band power also increased after tasks, but it did not correlate with self-reported fatigue.
03Headset discomfort was common, and 25% of participants could not complete the full protocol because of discomfort.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study analysed 32 typically developing children, not children with cerebral palsy, so it does not show how clinical users would tolerate or fatigue with BCI. The authors state the study was not adequately powered to detect differences between sessions. The age range was broad, and participants were split only into younger and older halves, which limits age-specific conclusions. Headset discomfort was common, and 25% of participants could not complete the full protocol because of discomfort. Task time varied because participants could stop early, and sessions were not identical in duration. Alpha band power did not correlate with self-reported fatigue and may not be a sensitive fatigue biomarker in children. EEG electrodes were excluded for noise in some sessions, and alpha values above 99 µV²/Hz were excluded.
Declared interests
The work was funded by the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. The supplied text gives no other conflict-of-interest statement.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that BCI is well tolerated for children with cerebral palsy. The study was done in typically developing children, and 25% of participants could not finish because of headset discomfort.