Non-invasive EEG-based BCI spellers from the beginning to today: a mini-review.

The defeat of the central motor neuron leads to the motor disorders. Patients lose the ability to control voluntary muscles, for example, of the upper limbs, which introduces a fundamental dissonance in the possibility of daily use of a computer or smartphone. As a result, the patients lose the ability to communicate with other people. The article presents the most popular paradigms used in the brain-computer-interface speller system and designed for typing by people with severe forms of the movement disorders. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have emerged as a promising technology for individuals with communication impairments. BCI-spellers are systems that enable users to spell words by selecting letters on a computer screen using their brain activity. There are three main types of BCI-spellers: P300, motor imagery (MI), and steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP). However, each type has its own limitations, which has led to the development of hybrid BCI-spellers that combine the strengths of multiple types. Hybrid BCI-spellers can improve accuracy and reduce the training period required for users to become proficient. Overall, hybrid BCI-spellers have the potential to improve communication for individuals with impairments by combining the strengths of multiple types of BCI-spellers. In conclusion, BCI-spellers are a promising technology for individuals with communication impairments. P300, MI, and SSVEP are the three main types of BCI-spellers, each with their own advantages and limitations. Further research is needed to improve the accuracy and usability of BCI-spellers and to explore their potential applications in other areas such as gaming and virtual reality.

Information-Thermodynamic Method for the Study of Proliferation of Organized Cellular Structure.

The aim of the article was to develop an innovative method for the study of cell proliferation based on the information-thermodynamic approach, including the mathematical ratio-the entropy of cell proliferation and an algorithm for the calculation of fractal dimension of the cellular structure. Approbation of this method with pulsed electromagnetic impact on culture in vitro was implemented. It is shown on the basis of experimental data that the organized cellular structure of juvenile human fibroblasts is a fractal. The method makes it possible to determine the stability of the effect on cell proliferation. The prospects for the application of the developed method are discussed.

X-ray and anatomical features of the lower jaw alveolar cortical layer in children.

INTRODUCTION: the world studies showed the interest in measurement of the buccal or anterior cortical plate thickness. Data indicate a significant superiority of the spongy substance over the compact one in the distal part of the jaw, which makes it possible to think about a higher effectiveness of transcortical injections. The empirical "rule of 10″ provides for the choice of a method of anesthesia in children for primary teeth but demonstrates difficulties with high-quality anesthesia accompanied for permanent teeth. Therefore, the importance of clinical examination and anatomical investigation of the jaw cortical plate in children for competent planning of transcortical interventions has been determined. AIM: To study the features of the clinical and X-ray anatomy of the cortical layer in distal alveolar part of the mandible in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The assessment of the X-ray anatomical characteristics of the mandible was carried out according to 150 anonymized cone-beam computed tomograms of patients aged 6-12 years, performed for the treatment of major diseases. Qualitative assessment and examination of the cortical plate of the distal alveolar part of the mandible were carried out on the skeletonized certified preparations of aged 6-12 in the amount of 50. RESULTS: The age characteristics of the cortical plate in the area of the chewing group of teeth in the mandible were determined according to macro anatomical studies, which confirms with the X-ray results. Therefore, the obtained images serve as actual confirmation of X-ray studies, which are ranked by age. The thickness of the cortical plate in the second primary molar of the mandible in subgroups 6, 7 and 8 years has a proportional increase from the cervical region to the apical projection. The average thickness of the cortical plate is 1.57 mm at 6 years, 1.52 mm at 7 years, 1.6 mm at 8 years and 1.84 at 9 years. The cortical plate thickness in the first primary molar of the mandible in subgroups 6 and 7 years has a proportional decrease from the cervical region to the apical projection as well as an inverse proportion to age. The average thickness of the cortical plate is 1.33 mm. In the first molar of the mandible at the age limit of 6-12 years the attention is drawn to the linear increase in tissue volume from the cervical region to the apical projection up to 8 years. At 6-8 years the average thickness of the cortical plate in this age group is 1.74 ± 0.2 mm, at 9 years - 2.03 mm, at 10 - average value in the cervical region it is 1.53 ± 0.23 mm, in the root middle it is 2.19 ± 0.13 mm and in the apical projection it is 1.98 ± 0.16 mm, at 11-2.22 mm and at 12-2.35 mm. For the second primary molar the average thickness of the buccal cortical plate of the second primary molar is 1.4 mm in cervical part, 1.68 mm in the root middle and 1.81 mm in the apical projection. Finally, thickness of the buccal cortical plate in the cervical region of the first permanent molar is 2 mm in groups. CONCLUSION: The study makes it possible to determinate with noninvasive way the age limit for the least pronounced zone of the buccal cortical plate.

A P300 Brain-Computer Interface With a Reduced Visual Field.

A P300 brain-computer interface (BCI) is a paradigm, where text characters are decoded from event-related potentials (ERPs). In a popular implementation, called P300 speller, a subject looks at a display where characters are flashing and selects one character by attending to it. The selection is recognized as the item with the strongest ERP. The speller performs well when cortical responses to target and non-target stimuli are sufficiently different. Although many strategies have been proposed for improving the BCI spelling, a relatively simple one received insufficient attention in the literature: reduction of the visual field to diminish the contribution from non-target stimuli. Previously, this idea was implemented in a single-stimulus switch that issued an urgent command like stopping a robot. To tackle this approach further, we ran a pilot experiment where ten subjects operated a traditional P300 speller or wore a binocular aperture that confined their sight to the central visual field. As intended, visual field restriction resulted in a replacement of non-target ERPs with EEG rhythms asynchronous to stimulus periodicity. Changes in target ERPs were found in half of the subjects and were individually variable. While classification accuracy was slightly better for the aperture condition (84.3 ± 2.9%, mean ± standard error) than the no-aperture condition (81.0 ± 2.6%), this difference was not statistically significant for the entire sample of subjects (N = 10). For both the aperture and no-aperture conditions, classification accuracy improved over 4 days of training, more so for the aperture condition (from 72.0 ± 6.3% to 87.0 ± 3.9% and from 72.0 ± 5.6% to 97.0 ± 2.2% for the no-aperture and aperture conditions, respectively). Although in this study BCI performance was not substantially altered, we suggest that with further refinement this approach could speed up BCI operations and reduce user fatigue. Additionally, instead of wearing an aperture, non-targets could be removed algorithmically or with a hybrid interface that utilizes an eye tracker. We further discuss how a P300 speller could be improved by taking advantage of the different physiological properties of the central and peripheral vision. Finally, we suggest that the proposed experimental approach could be used in basic research on the mechanisms of visual processing.

Stroke Affected Lower Limbs Rehabilitation Combining Virtual Reality With Tactile Feedback.

In our study, we tested a combination of virtual reality (VR) and robotics in the original adjuvant method of post-stroke lower limb walk restoration in acute phase using a simulation with visual and tactile biofeedback based on VR immersion and physical impact to the soles of patients. The duration of adjuvant therapy was 10 daily sessions of 15 min each. The study showed the following significant rehabilitation progress in Control (N = 27) vs. Experimental (N = 35) groups, respectively: 1.56 ± 0.29 (mean ± SD) and 2.51 ± 0.31 points by Rivermead Mobility Index (p = 0.0286); 2.15 ± 0.84 and 6.29 ± 1.20 points by Fugl-Meyer Assessment Lower Extremities scale (p = 0.0127); and 6.19 ± 1.36 and 13.49 ± 2.26 points by Berg Balance scale (p = 0.0163). P-values were obtained by the Mann-Whitney U test. The simple and intuitive mechanism of rehabilitation, including through the use of sensory and semantic components, allows the therapy of a patient with diaschisis and afferent and motor aphasia. Safety of use allows one to apply the proposed method of therapy at the earliest stage of a stroke. We consider the main finding of this study that the application of rehabilitation with implicit interaction with VR environment produced by the robotics action has measurable significant influence on the restoration of the affected motor function of the lower limbs compared with standard rehabilitation therapy.