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EEG-Based Brain-Computer Interface Project for Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

NCT00718458 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 102

Last updated 2017-03-30

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neuromuscular condition characterized by weakness, muscle wasting, fasciculations and increased reflexes. Depending on the site of onset, individuals with ALS progressively lose control of their skeletal muscles; bulbar or the extremities. As symptoms worsen and spread, muscle atrophy becomes apparent and upper motor neuron symptoms such as spasticity complicate gait (in lower limb involvement) and manual dexterity (in upper limb involvement). The patients progress to a state of profound disability and have great difficulty in communicating; some may even be entirely "locked in" to their bodies. The capacity for simple communication could greatly improve their quality of life.

New technologies are giving people with disabilities alternate communication and control options. One such instrument is the EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) which can provide both communication and control functions to those who have lost muscle control. By recording electroencephalographic (EEG) signals or brain waves from the scalp and then decoding them, the Wadsworth BCI allows people to make selections on a computer screen \[i\] In this study we will be investigating the feasibility of using EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface technology as a communication solution for individuals with ALS. The specific question addressed will be: Can individuals with ALS use the BCI for communication when they present with extreme loss of neuromuscular control and severe communication impairments? The goal of the project is to determine whether this device is a practical and realistic means for individuals with ALS to communicate. The study is intended to evaluate both the complexity of the system and the degree to which each participant will be able to communicate. Trials will consist of asking the subject to follow a series of simple instructions and complete certain tasks while using the BCI.

This study design requires that the individual live in the Philadelphia region. Please contact the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health and State University of New York at Albany directly if you reside outside of this area.

Conditions

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • MDA/ALS Center of Hope

    collaborator OTHER

  • Drexel University College of Medicine

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Terry Heiman-Patterson, MD · MDA/ALS Center of Hope

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
90 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2007-08-31
Primary Completion
2016-12-31
Completion
2016-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00718458 on ClinicalTrials.gov