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Innovations in Brain-Computer Interfaces: From Healthcare to Entertainment

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 1505

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Research Unit of Radiology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
Interests: neuroradiology; oncologic imaging; contrast media; artificial intelligence
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) are a transformative technology at the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, and computer science. By enabling direct communication between the brain and external devices, BCIs have the potential to revolutionize various domains, from healthcare to consumer entertainment. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in BCI technology, highlighting both its clinical applications and innovative uses in consumer and entertainment sectors.

The primary aim of this Special Issue is to gather high-quality original research articles, reviews, and case studies that demonstrate the diverse applications and advancements of BCIs. We seek contributions that explore the full spectrum of BCI technology, including:

  • Clinical Applications: Research on the use of BCIs in neurorehabilitation, assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities, mental health interventions, and other healthcare applications. This includes studies on improving patient outcomes, innovative therapeutic approaches, and clinical trials.
  • Consumer Applications: The exploration of BCIs in gaming, virtual reality, augmented reality, and other interactive media. This section will cover user experience studies, technological innovations, and market trends in consumer BCI products.
  • Technological Advancements: papers focusing on the development of new BCI hardware and software, including signal processing techniques, machine learning algorithms, and user interface design.
  • Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications: Discussions about the ethical considerations, legal frameworks, and social impacts of BCI technology. This includes privacy concerns, data security, and the broader societal implications of widespread BCI adoption.
  • Case Studies and Experimental Results: detailed reports on experimental studies, clinical trials, and real-world applications of BCIs in both clinical and consumer settings.
  • Future Trends and Challenges: insights into the future directions of BCI research and its development, potential challenges, and opportunities for innovation.

We invite researchers, developers, and practitioners from various disciplines to submit their work to this Special Issue. Your contributions should provide significant insights into the advancements of BCI technology and its applications. We welcome diverse perspectives and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration to push the boundaries of what BCIs can achieve.

Authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts through the Applied Sciences submission system. All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure the publication of high-quality papers. Detailed submission guidelines can be found on the Applied Sciences website (https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload/applsci).

Dr. Athanasios Koutras
Dr. Carlo A. Mallio
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • brain–computer interfaces
  • neurorehabilitation
  • assistive technologies
  • gaming
  • virtual reality
  • interactive media
  • BCI hardware
  • BCI software
  • ethical implications
  • future trends

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2902 KiB  
Article
Transcranial Doppler-Based Neurofeedback to Improve Hemispheric Lateralization
by Rosita Rabbito, Leonardo Ermini, Caterina Guiot and Silvestro Roatta
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 5763; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105763 - 21 May 2025
Viewed by 141
Abstract
Functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD) ultrasound can detect cerebral blood flow lateralization to the left/right hemisphere during different tasks. This study aims to test the effectiveness of neurofeedback in improving the individual capacity to lateralize blood flow with mental activity. Bilateral monitoring of blood [...] Read more.
Functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD) ultrasound can detect cerebral blood flow lateralization to the left/right hemisphere during different tasks. This study aims to test the effectiveness of neurofeedback in improving the individual capacity to lateralize blood flow with mental activity. Bilateral monitoring of blood velocity (CBV) in the middle cerebral arteries was performed in 14 subjects engaged in 15 min of training, followed by a 15 min test in each of four sessions. A ball, displayed on a screen, moved right or left, according to the current right/left difference in normalized CBVs, thus providing a visual neurofeedback of lateralization. The subjects were invited to control the left/right movement of the depicted ball by appropriately orienting their mental activity, freely exploring different strategies. These attempts were completely free and unsupervised during training, while during the test, the subjects were required to follow randomized left/right cues lasting 35 s. Performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. With training, responses to left and right cues diverged more rapidly and consistently. Accuracy improved significantly from 0.51 to 0.65, and the area under the ROC increased from 0.55 to 0.69. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of neurofeedback in improving lateralization capacity, with implications for the development of fTCD-based brain–computer interfaces. Full article
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Review

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13 pages, 366 KiB  
Review
Exploring the Impact of Electroencephalography-Based Neurofeedback (EEG NFB) on Motor Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease: A Targeted Literature Review
by Laura Blaznik and Uros Marusic
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(5), 2496; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052496 - 26 Feb 2025
Viewed by 877
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, with pharmacological treatments predominantly focusing on dopaminergic therapies. In the early stages of PD, symptoms may also be alleviated through non-pharmacological interventions. One such non-invasive technique is electroencephalogram neurofeedback (EEG NFB), which has shown promising [...] Read more.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, with pharmacological treatments predominantly focusing on dopaminergic therapies. In the early stages of PD, symptoms may also be alleviated through non-pharmacological interventions. One such non-invasive technique is electroencephalogram neurofeedback (EEG NFB), which has shown promising results in improving the cognitive and motor functions of PD patients. The aim of our study was to assess the existing evidence, identify key trends and determine potential opportunities for future research in the field of EEG NFB for PD. This analysis explores the impact of EEG NFB on motor deficits in PD and identifies key factors for the successful implementation of EEG NFB as evidenced in the literature. The synthesis includes findings from five relevant studies, including one case study, one pilot study and three randomized controlled trials. Study selection followed the PICO framework to ensure relevance and rigor. The results suggest a correlation between sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) and beta rhythms, with increases in SMR (13–15 Hz) and beta (12–15 Hz) rhythms linked to improvements in balance, mobility and stability in PD patients. However, limitations such as small sample sizes, brief intervention durations and lack of follow-up warrant a cautious interpretation. Future research should prioritize robust protocols, larger samples and extended neurofeedback training to fully assess EEG NFB’s potential for PD management. Full article
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