The effect of multimodal and enriched feedback on SMR-BCI performance

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Motor imagery-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) enable control through imagined movements.
• Conventional feedback methods, like bar feedback, may limit user engagement and performance.
• Enriched feedback, incorporating signal uncertainty, could enhance BCI usability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of multimodal (visual and auditory) continuous funnel feedback on motor imagery BCI performance.
• To compare funnel feedback with conventional bar feedback in terms of accuracy, motivation, and frustration.
• To investigate the role of signal uncertainty information in BCI feedback.

Main Methods:

• A between-subjects design with 30 healthy, BCI-naive participants.
• Three feedback conditions: conventional bar (CB), visual funnel (UF), and multimodal funnel (MF).
• Five training sessions focused on imagining left/right hand movements to control a sensorimotor rhythm (SMR)-BCI.

Main Results:

• Multimodal funnel feedback (MF) resulted in significantly better initial performance compared to conventional bar feedback (CB).
• MF feedback significantly enhanced participant motivation and minimized frustration across training sessions.
• Individual feedback accuracy showed considerable variation among participants.

Conclusions:

• Funnel feedback effectively enables participants to modulate sensorimotor EEG rhythms for BCI control.
• Multimodal funnel feedback offers improved initial performance and user experience over conventional BCI feedback.
• This approach provides a viable alternative for training individuals to control SMR-based BCIs.