MindBEAGLE: Unlocking Functional Communication for Patients with Disorders of Consciousness
- Conditions
- Disorders of Consciousness
- Interventions
- Device: mindBEAGLE daily device use
- Registration Number
- NCT06426602
- Lead Sponsor
- Amy Wagner
- Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to test how effective the mindBEAGLE device is in allowing people who are unconscious (due to a brain injury or other condition) to communicate using brain waves to answer Yes/No questions. Participants will wear a cap that will be connected to a computer that measures brain waves, wrist bands that vibrate at different strengths, and ear phones that create different levels of loud tones and will be asked to associate Yes/No answers with the vibrations or tones. They will also be asked to "think about" moving different parts of their body to answer Yes or No. The mindBEAGLE device has already been proven effective for this kind of communication in a previous study, and the study team would like to trial it on a population of unconscious people who enter the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute to see if patients are able to be trained to use the device as part of their everyday inpatient rehabilitation until they are discharged, or until they are able to regain consciousness.
- Detailed Description
The team's research reflects an integrated clinical and research team who will characterize and implement an aggressive and innovative approach using brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) evaluation, prognostication, and rehabilitation care. The work proposed strives for equity in accessing healthcare systems and technology effectively, even among vulnerable individuals with profound levels of disability due to their DoC state.
The "gold-standard" for assessing cognitive capacity among patients with DoC relies on behavioral response observations and neuroimaging modalities. However, these approaches underestimate patients' capabilities. The current problem is that without other clinical data, rehabilitation teams rely solely on observable behavioral changes in patients' awareness of their environment in order to treat and improve communication. The project's challenge rests with implementing BCI focused assistive technology that identifies a unique and specific electrophysiological biomarker of cognitive and communication capacities that cannot be tapped using current clinical tools. If successful, this approach will allow clinical teams to initiate treatment and communication, avoiding therapeutic delays arising from traditional methods that require behavioral indicators needed to participate in functional communication.
The P300 wave is a positive deflection in the human event-related potential. It is most commonly elicited in an "oddball" paradigm when a subject detects an occasional "target" stimulus in a regular train of standard stimuli.
This project will compare standard awareness training methods used at the UPMC RI Brain Injury program with novel BCI research by using mindBEAGLE, a suite of P300 paradigms (vibrations, sound tones, and mental visualization) used for cognitive and communication assessment and treatment. European studies using the mindBEAGLE system with DoC patients reveal patients' cognitive and communication capabilities that impact current functional assessment and influence prognostication and recovery. The mindBEAGLE gives additional diagnostic data to enhance clinical neuroscience practice by showing reactions to stimuli that benefit from electroencephalogram (EEG) P300 use. However, clinical neuroscience implementation studies have not been conducted. Armed with more detailed and accurate assessments from this study, the investigators are confident that the clinical teams will be able to offer exciting rehabilitation treatments designed by UPMC RI treatment teams, patients, and families that leverage the mindBEAGLE interface for functional communication. Specifically, the EEG-based mindBEAGLE BCI suite will provide a practical platform for cognitive assessment of command following and a communication system for patients with DoC that will allow the research teams to offer more intensive, multidimensional rehabilitation treatments that meet the UPMC ideal of Life Changing Medicine.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 15
- Age 18-50
- Medically able to tolerate Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) rehabilitation program as determined by UPMC Physicians
- Clinically assessed capacity for functional improvement in the rehabilitation environment
- Measuring improvements with pharmacological stimulation (using JFK Coma Recovery Scale)
- Electrophysiological prognostic testing confirming brain activity.
- Coma
- Bilateral non-response with standard electrophysiological studies
- Medical instability
- Open scalp wound
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description mindBEAGLE trial participants mindBEAGLE daily device use Patients identified as "disorders of consciousness" admitted to UPMC Rehabilitation Institute will be considered for the trial. As patients will not be able to communicate, health care proxy will provide consent. Participants will undergo 3 trials across 5 days within a 10-day period (2-3 hours each ) to assess if they are responding to the device.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Neural and Multisensory DOC mindBEAGLE Initial Classification Accuracy Assessment 18 months The ability to answer Yes/No questions at over above 40% accuracy using 1 of the following paradigms:
1. auditory evoked potentials;
2. vibro-tactile stimulation with 2 tactors;
3. vibro-tactile stimulation with 3 tactors;
4. vibro-tactile stimulation with 7 tactors;
5. motor imagery.Acceptability of mindBEAGLE treatment by clinical staff. Within 2 weeks Post-intervention Clinicians agree that mindBEAGLE is feasible to implement with DOC patients in the inpatient setting.
Acceptability of mindBEAGLE treatment by families of DOC patients. Within 2 weeks Post-intervention Family/Caregivers of DOC patient agree that the mindBEAGLE was beneficial.
DOC mindBEAGLE Communication Assessment 18 months Among DOC patients who pass initial classification assessment: ability to communicate yes/no questions at or above 40% accuracy with one of the two P300 paradigms.
mindBEAGLE P300 paradigm #1
1. Baseline - No response to yes/no questions
2. Change in baseline - Response to yes/no questions using mindBEAGLE
mindBEAGLE P300 paradigm #2
1. Baseline - 0% accuracy on yes/no questions
2. Change in baseline - 60% or higher in response to yes/no questions.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
UPMC Center for Assistive Technology
🇺🇸Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
UPMC Rehabilitation Institute
🇺🇸Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States