Are Online Co-adaptive Sensorimotor Rhythm Brain-Computer Interface Training Paradigms Effective?

Operating a non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) based sensorimotor rhythm brain-computer interface (BCI) is a skill that typically requires extensive training. Lately, online co-adaptive feedback training approaches achieved promising results. Does this also mean that users can have meaningful BCI-based interactions after training? To answer this question an online study was conducted with 10 naive (first time) users. The users trained to gain BCI control by playing a Whack-A-Mole game for about 30 minutes. During this time BCI parameters were adapting to the users EEG patterns. The adaptation was then stopped and users continued playing the game with the trained BCI for another 20 minutes. Eight out of the ten users were able to control the BCI and play the game. These preliminary results seem to suggest that online co-adaptation is an effective way to gain BCI control.