02112nas a2200289   4500008004100000022001400041245004800055210004100103260001200144300001200156490000800168520133600176653002201512653002901534653000801563653002001571653001501591653002401606100001901630700001901649700001601668700002301684700002601707700002101733700002001754856004801774       2008                        eng d  a0165-027000aAn auditory brain-computer interface (BCI).0 aauditory braincomputer interface BCI  c01/2008  a43–500 v1673 aBrain-computer interfaces (BCIs) translate brain activity into signals controlling external devices. BCIs based on visual stimuli can maintain communication in severely paralyzed patients, but only if intact vision is available. Debilitating neurological disorders however, may lead to loss of intact vision. The current study explores the feasibility of an auditory BCI. Sixteen healthy volunteers participated in three training sessions consisting of 30 2-3 min runs in which they learned to increase or decrease the amplitude of sensorimotor rhythms (SMR) of the EEG. Half of the participants were presented with visual and half with auditory feedback. Mood and motivation were assessed prior to each session. Although BCI performance in the visual feedback group was superior to the auditory feedback group there was no difference in performance at the end of the third session. Participants in the auditory feedback group learned slower, but four out of eight reached an accuracy of over 70% correct in the last session comparable to the visual feedback group. Decreasing performance of some participants in the visual feedback group is related to mood and motivation. We conclude that with sufficient training time an auditory BCI may be as efficient as a visual BCI. Mood and motivation play a role in learning to use a BCI.10aauditory feedback10abrain-computer interface10aEEG10alocked-in state10amotivation10asensorimotor rhythm1 aNijboer, Femke1 aFurdea, Adrian1 aGunst, Ingo1 aMellinger, Jürgen1 aMcFarland, Dennis, J.1 aBirbaumer, Niels1 aKübler, Andrea  uhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17399797