TeleBCI-FES
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Upper Limb Telerehabilitation Using Brain-Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation
IRAS ID
305929
Contact name
Mahnaz Arvaneh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN42991002
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Y4.Q4.3, NIHR Sheffield BRC Non-Pay Budget Code
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 15 days
Research summary
Movements of different parts of the body, including the arm, are produced by electrical signals from brain. If a stroke that causes damage to the area of the brain responsible for these movements, even though the person intends to move the arm, the arm will not move or only move partly. Despite this, the brain can still produce electrical signals even though they do not translate into the intended movement. Brain-computer interface (BCI), is a method of utilising the brain signals to produce useful outputs via computers. One type of BCI is BCI Functional Electrical Stimulus (BCI-FES) which is a device that can detect these brain signals produced during the intention to move the weak arm after a stroke. It then uses these signals to trigger an electrical stimulator. The electrical stimulator then stimulates the muscles in the weak arm to produce the desired arm movement. Recent studies show that rehabilitation using this device has given better results when compared with conventional rehabilitation approaches. However, the BCI-FES devices currently available are bulky and patients need to come to the hospital or laboratory to receive the treatment. Our project aims to develop a BCI-FES device, called Tele BCI-FES that can be used at stroke patients' home. We are using techniques like machine learning to make the Tele BCI-FES quick and simple to set up, easy to use and effective. This study aims to investigate if our proposed Tele BCI-FES device is a feasible and acceptable intervention for post-stroke rehabilitation. We will use data from this study to improve the design of the Tele BCI-FES device and complete a larger study.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
22/NS/0018
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion