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Research aims to help stroke patients, hyperactive kids
A NEW technology that can read a person's brainwaves is giving stroke patients and hyperactive children a chance at better lives.
Two clinical trials are looking at how the technology, which translates the electrical impulses radiated by the brain into real-world actions, can help stroke patients in their rehabilitation and teach rambunctious kids how to concentrate.
"We wanted an end-product that could help people," said Dr Tee Keng Peng, 32, a researcher from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), which is behind the technology.
Electrodes are attached to the temples of a stroke patient and connected to a harness that can move the patient's shoulder or elbow. The patient is then asked to concentrate, a process that radiates electrical impulses. These are detected by electrodes, transmitted, amplified and interpreted by special software. The device then moves the harness.
The collaboration between A*Star and the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) started early this year, and is in its final stages.
An A*Star spokesman said more than 30 patients participated in the trial. The device helped speed up the amount of time it took patients to recover from a stroke, the spokesman said.
NNI's research committee chairman Ang Beng Ti said he wanted to further explore a system that could stimulate the wrist and fingers and other fine movements.
In the second project, the technology is incorporated into a race car game used to train children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The child is hooked up to electrodes, similar to those for the stroke patient. These electrodes are then connected to a computer with the software. As the child concentrates, a car will move round the race track on the screen. The technique can be used to move puzzle pieces, bounce balls or catch fish in other games.
This project, carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, started in June and is still in the first phase of testing, which is expected to last two years. About 10 children are using the program now.
Dr Daniel Fung, the senior consultant and chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at IMH, told The Straits Times that the aim was to see if "we can train concentration".
"If we can do that, then we want to see if it can be generalised to teach kids with ADHD to do maths, read, do problem sums, and if it is for the short term or long term," he said.
At the moment, the project is still at the experimental stage. But it lets children avoid taking medication like Ritalin, which may have side effects such as loss of appetite or sleep.
A*Star exhibited the technology at its booth during the Siggraph Asia 2008 exhibition, which began yesterday. This exhibition, which focuses on computer graphics and interactive media, ends tomorrow.
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