A new brain-computer interface has shown promising results in helping patients with lock-in syndrome to communicate. The system has allowed them to respond to questions by 'yes' or no', by thinking the answers. Lock-in syndrome is a rare neurological disorder in which sufferers have intact cognitive and emotional processing and awareness of what goes on around them. However, they are unable to move or communicate verbally as they are completely paralysed – except for vertical eye movements and blinking. In some extreme cases, these eye movements are also absent and people are said to suffer from "complete lock-in syndrome". Despite scientific and technological advances, communication remains
Brain-computer interface allows completely locked-in people to communicate
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Paralyzed patients communicate thoughts via brain-computer interface