Considering preferences, speed and the animation of multiple symbols in developing P300 brain-computer interface for children

Prior research has begun establishing the efficacy of animation in brain-computer interfaces access to augmentative and alternative communication (BCI-AAC). However, the use of animation in P300-BCI-AAC for children is in the early stages and largely limited to single item highlighting of extended durations. In pursuit of practical application, the present study aims to evaluate children’s event-related potential (ERP) characteristics and user experience during a task involving an animated P300-BCI-AAC system. The system utilizes multi-item zoom animations to access a 28-pictorial symbols. Participants completed a fast (100 ms) and slow (200 ms) zoom animation highlighting conditions wherein four pictorial symbols were highlighted concurrently. The proposed display appears feasible, eliciting all targeted ERPs. However, ERP amplitudes may be reduced in comparison to single-item animation highlighting, possibly due to distraction. Ratings of mental effort were significantly higher for the 100 ms condition, though differences in the frontal P200/P300 ERP did not achieve significance. Most participants identified a preference for the 100 ms condition, though age may impact preference. Overall, findings support the preliminary feasibility of a proposed 28-item interface that utilises group zoom animation highlighting of pictorial symbols. Further research is needed evaluating ERP characteristics and outcomes from online (real-time) use of animation-based P300-BCI-AAC for children with severe speech and physical impairments across multiple training sessions. The proposed display employing multi-item zoom animations seems feasible. However, preliminary evidence suggests that event-related potential amplitudes may be reduced compared to single-item animation highlighting.Number scale ratings of mental effort were significantly higher for the 100 ms condition.Most participants identified a preference for the 100 ms condition, although age may impact preference. The proposed display employing multi-item zoom animations seems feasible. However, preliminary evidence suggests that event-related potential amplitudes may be reduced compared to single-item animation highlighting. Number scale ratings of mental effort were significantly higher for the 100 ms condition. Most participants identified a preference for the 100 ms condition, although age may impact preference.

既往研究已证实动画在辅助与替代沟通脑机接口（Brain-Computer Interface for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, BCI-AAC）中的应用效能。但针对儿童的P300型辅助与替代沟通脑机接口中动画的应用尚处于早期阶段，且大多局限于长时长单项目高亮显示。
为推动其实际应用，本研究旨在评估儿童在使用动画式P300-BCI-AAC系统完成任务时的事件相关电位（Event-Related Potential, ERP）特征与用户体验。该系统采用多项目缩放动画来调用28个图形符号，受试者分别完成快速（100毫秒）与慢速（200毫秒）两种缩放动画高亮条件下的任务，两种条件下均同时高亮4个图形符号。
研究结果显示，所提出的显示方案具备可行性，可诱发出所有目标ERP成分。但与单项目动画高亮相比，ERP波幅可能有所降低，这可能源于分心干扰。100毫秒条件下的心理负荷评分显著更高，尽管前额叶P200/P300事件相关电位的差异未达到统计学显著性。多数受试者表示更偏好100毫秒条件，不过年龄可能会影响偏好倾向。
总体而言，本研究结果证实了所提出的采用分组缩放动画高亮图形符号的28项目界面具备初步可行性。未来仍需开展进一步研究，针对存在严重言语与肢体障碍的儿童，评估其在多轮训练中在线（实时）使用基于动画的P300-BCI-AAC时的ERP特征与应用效果。