Attention modulations of posterior alpha as a control signal for two-dimensional brain-computer interfaces

Research on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is gaining strong interest. This is motivated by BCIs being applicable for helping disabled, for gaming, and as a tool in cognitive neuroscience. Often, motor imagery is used to produce (binary) control signals. However, finding other types of control signals that allow the discrimination of multiple classes would help to increase the applicability of BCIs. We have investigated if modulation of posterior alpha activity by means of covert spatial attention in two dimensions can be reliably classified in single trials. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) data were collected for 15 subjects who were engaged in a task where they covertly had to visually attend left, right, up or down during a period of 2500 ms. We then classified the trials using support vector machines. The four orientations of covert attention could be reliably classified up to a maximum of 69% correctly classified trials (25% chance level) without the need for lengthy and burdensome subject training. Low classification performance in some subjects was explained by a low alpha signal. These findings support the case that modulation of alpha activity by means of covert spatial attention is promising as a control signal for a two-dimensional BCI.