Low-cost Neurocognitive Rehabilitation System for Traumatic Brain Injury

Impairments to proper cognitive functioning are among the most common problems associated with traumatic brain injury. Treatment for cognitive dysfunction is central to recovery after TBI due to the profound impact cognitive dysfunction can have on an individual’s independence, ability to work, and their community and social interaction. Cognitive rehabilitation seeks to improve cognitive function through the systematic application of therapies emerging from the neurosciences. In this project will construct and evaluate a prototype cognitive rehabilitation tool based on EEG neurofeedback, an approach that has demonstrated significant success with TBI patients. Neurofeedback is a form of biofeedback that seeks to modify electrical brain activity via operant conditioning. The training apparatus consists of EEG sensors coupled to computing hardware running software designed to measure both desirable and undesirable patterns of neural electrical activity. The product of these measurements is displayed to the subject during training and informs a system of rewards for desirable changes in activity.