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BCI Glossary

The definitive reference for brain-computer interface terminology — neuroscience, hardware, signal processing, decoding, and regulatory.

23 terms defined · 11 categories
Clinical conditionsCore conceptsDevicesMaterials scienceNeuroanatomyRecording modalitiesRegulatorySignal processingSignal typesSystem architectureTherapeutic modalities
Clinical conditions
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)A progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of voluntary muscle control and eventually respiratory failure. The primary target condition for communication BCIs.→
Core concepts
Brain-Computer InterfaceA direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device, bypassing the normal neuromuscular pathway.→
Neural InterfaceAny device or system that creates a direct interaction between electronic components and the nervous system, enabling recording of neural activity, delivery of electrical stimulation, or both.→
NeuroprostheticsDevices that replace or restore lost neural function by interfacing with the nervous system, encompassing both motor prosthetics (restoring movement or communication) and sensory prosthetics (restoring vision, hearing, or touch).→
Devices
Electrode ArrayA multi-electrode device used to simultaneously record from or stimulate multiple sites in neural tissue, providing spatial coverage of neural activity across brain regions.→
StentrodeSynchron's endovascular BCI device — a stent-mounted electrode array delivered via catheter through blood vessels to sit adjacent to the motor cortex, recording neural signals without open brain surgery.→
Utah ArrayA 96-electrode silicon intracortical recording array arranged in a 10x10 grid, the most widely used implanted BCI device in human research.→
Materials science
BiocompatibilityThe ability of an implanted material or device to perform its intended function without causing toxic, injurious, or immunological responses in the surrounding tissue.→
Neuroanatomy
Motor CortexThe region of the cerebral cortex responsible for planning, controlling, and executing voluntary movements. The primary recording target for motor BCIs due to its rich representation of movement intention.→
Recording modalities
ECoGAbbreviation for electrocorticography — the recording of electrical brain signals from electrode arrays placed on the cortical surface.→
ElectrocorticographyRecording of electrical brain activity using electrode arrays placed directly on the cortical surface (subdurally or epidurally), providing higher signal quality than scalp EEG without penetrating brain tissue.→
Intracortical RecordingNeural recording performed by electrodes implanted directly within brain tissue, enabling detection of individual neuron action potentials.→
Regulatory
Breakthrough Device DesignationAn FDA program that provides expedited development and review of medical devices intended to treat or diagnose serious conditions where the device offers more effective treatment or diagnosis than available alternatives.→
Investigational Device ExemptionAn FDA regulatory authorization allowing a medical device to be used in clinical studies to collect safety and effectiveness data, before the device receives FDA approval or clearance.→
Signal processing
Neural DecodingThe process of inferring intended movements, thoughts, or commands from recorded neural signals using computational algorithms.→
Signal-to-Noise RatioIn neural recording, the ratio of the amplitude of a neuron's action potential waveform to the amplitude of background electrical noise, determining the clarity and usability of neural recordings.→
Spike SortingThe computational process of identifying and separating the action potentials of individual neurons from raw extracellular electrode recordings containing overlapping spikes from multiple nearby cells.→
Signal types
LFPAbbreviation for Local Field Potential. See local-field-potential for the full entry.→
Local Field PotentialA low-frequency electrical signal recorded by an intracortical or ECoG electrode that reflects the aggregate synaptic activity of a local neural population.→
P300An event-related potential (ERP) — a positive deflection in the EEG signal occurring approximately 300 milliseconds after a rare or task-relevant stimulus — widely used as the basis for non-invasive EEG-based BCI spelling systems.→
SSVEPSteady-State Visual Evoked Potential — a rhythmic EEG response at the exact frequency of a flickering visual stimulus, used as a high-speed, non-invasive BCI selection mechanism.→
System architecture
Closed-Loop BCIA brain-computer interface system that both records neural signals and delivers stimulation in response, creating a bidirectional feedback loop between the device and the brain.→
Therapeutic modalities
Deep Brain StimulationA neurosurgical procedure in which implanted electrodes deliver continuous electrical pulses to specific deep brain structures to treat neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and epilepsy.→