Demonstration of low-cost EEG system providing on-demand communication for locked-in patients

Humans with severe speech and motor impairments, such as those with locked-in syndrome, experience difficulty initiating communication with caregivers. Without the ability to press a button or vocalize their requests, they must rely on in-person caregivers to anticipate their needs and communicate through eye movements or expensive and difficult to maintain systems. In this feasibility study, our research demonstrates that low-cost hardware including a consumer-grade, dry electrode EEG headset can be used to detect customizable blink patterns to send notifications to a caregiver's smartphone anywhere with an internet connection. This restores the patient's ability to communicate on-demand and when their caregiver is not physically present in the same room. Low-cost equipment also improves access for monetarily constrained situations.