Towards the detection of error-related potentials and its integration in the context of a P300 speller brain-computer interface

A P300 Speller is a brain–computer interface (BCI) that enables subjects to spell text on a computer screen by detecting P300 Event-Related Potentials in their electroencephalograms (EEG). This BCI application is of particular interest to disabled patients who have lost all means of verbal and motor communication. Error-related Potentials (ErrPs) in the EEG are generated by the subject’s perception of an error. We report on the possibility of using these ErrPs for improving the performance of a P300 Speller. Overall nine subjects were tested, allowing us to study their EEG responses to correct and incorrect performances of the BCI, compare our findings to previous studies, explore the possibility of detecting ErrPs and discuss the integration of ErrP classifiers into the P300 Speller system. & 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.