Mar 17, 2007
Pigeonbots
From Practical Neurotechnology
Scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center of east China's Shandong University of Science and Technology claim to have implanted micro electrodes in the brain of a pigeon so they can command it to fly right or left or up or down.
The implants stimulated different areas of the pigeon's brain according to signals sent by the scientists via computer, and forced the bird to comply with their commands.
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2007/02/cyborg_flying_r.html
http://tenementpalm.blogspot.com/2007/02/psb-buys-tiny-ge...
http://english.people.com.cn/200702/27/eng20070227_352761...
14:51 Posted in Pervasive computing | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: brain-computer interface
EEG neurofeedback for cognitive enhancement in the elderly
EEG neurofeedback: a brief overview and an example of peak alpha frequency training for cognitive enhancement in the elderly.
Clin Neuropsychol. 2007 Jan;21(1):110-29
Authors: Angelakis E, Stathopoulou S, Frymiare JL, Green DL, Lubar JF, Kounios J
Neurofeedback (NF) is an electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback technique for training individuals to alter their brain activity via operant conditioning. Research has shown that NF helps reduce symptoms of several neurological and psychiatric disorders, with ongoing research currently investigating applications to other disorders and to the enhancement of non-disordered cognition. The present article briefly reviews the fundamentals and current status of NF therapy and research and illustrates the basic approach with an interim report on a pilot study aimed at developing a new NF protocol for improving cognitive function in the elderly. EEG peak alpha frequency (PAF) has been shown to correlate positively with cognitive performance and to correlate negatively with age after childhood. The present pilot study used a double-blind controlled design to investigate whether training older individuals to increase PAF would result in improved cognitive performance. The results suggested that PAF NF improved cognitive processing speed and executive function, but that it had no clear effect on memory. In sum, the results suggest that the PAF NF protocol is a promising technique for improving selected cognitive functions.
14:47 Posted in Biofeedback & neurofeedback | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: biofeedback, neurofeedback
CFP: "Online Communities and People with Disabilities" Special Issue of TACCESS
Via Usability News
Call for papers: Special Issue of ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS) on "Online Communities and People with Disabilities"
Guest Editors: Panayiotis Zaphiris & Ulrike Pfeil
Centre for HCI Design
City University London
The term 'online community' is generally used to refer to people who meet and communicate in an online environment. Rather than physical proximity, researchers use the nature and strength of relationships among the members to determine the characteristics of an online community. Online communities are formed around similar interests (for example discussions around a disability) of the members. People who have similar needs or experiences meet in online communities in order to exchange valuable resources and/or to engage in social support. An increasing number of people spend time in online communities to make friends, develop relationships, and exchange emotional support. Social interaction online can especially be beneficial for people with special needs (and for older people) as it allows them to stay in contact with family and friends despite the disability or time-constraints.
The emphasis for TACCESS publications is placed on experimental results, although strong papers presenting new theoretical insights or positions are also given consideration. Additional information for prospective authors can be found at: http://www.is.umbc.edu/taccess/authors.html
THEMES
Contributions from both the academic community and industry are most welcomed. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the following:
*Design approaches and techniques suitable for empathic online communities
* Usability and accessibility studies regarding online communities for people with disabilities
* Theoretical foundations for analysing empathic online communities
* Social and Cultural Issues of online communities for people with disabilities
* New methods and techniques (eg Social Network Analysis)
* Ethical issues to be considered when studying online communities for people with disabilities
* The potential of 3D Virtual Worlds for such communities
SUBMISSION PROCESS
Prospective authors should as soon as possible (but before 15th of May 2007) submit a tentative title and a short abstract (maximum 150 words) to Panayiotis Zaphiris (zaphiri@soi.city.ac.uk). Authors of abstracts that are judged to fit the themes of the special issue will be promptly invited to submit a full paper. Full paper should follow the journal�s suggested writing format viewable at http://www.is.umbc.edu/taccess/authors.html and should be submitted directly to the editors of this special issue (zaphiri@soi.city.ac.uk)
Important dates:
o Abstract submission: By 15th of May 2007
o Full paper submission: 15th July 2007
o Response to authors: 25th September 2007
o Final version of papers: 25th October 2007
14:45 Posted in Call for papers | Permalink | Comments (0) | Tags: accessibility