Interfaces Cerebro-Computadora: Conceptualización, Retos de Rediseño e Impacto Social / Brain Computer-Interfaces: Conceptualization, Redesign Challenges and Social Impact

Resumen Las Interfaces Cerebro-Computadora (ICCs) son sistemas que miden la actividad del Sistema Nervioso Central y la convierten en salidas que reemplazan, restauran, aumentan, suplementan o mejoran las salidas naturales de dicho sistema y, por lo tanto, cambian las interacciones en curso entre el ser humano y su ambiente interno o externo. Sin embargo, a más de medio siglo de ser investigadas en condiciones de laboratorio, las ICC no han podido ser trasladadas al mundo real. En el presente artículo de revisión se busca: (1) comprender a fondo la estructura de una ICC y los tipos de sistema, (2) analizar el reto que tiene la comunidad científica para mejorar la interacción entre usuario y sistema desde la perspectiva de la ingeniería de factores humanos y (3) describir la aplicación de este tipo de tecnología de asistencia en desarrollo en la sociedad mexicana. El futuro de estas ICC y la eficiencia con que logren el objetivo para el que fueron diseñadas parece depender, más que nunca, de factores relacionados a la percepción subjetiva del usuario, su adaptación al manejo de las ICC y el proceso de internalizarlas como propias en su espacio personal y su psique.

Abstract Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) record the neural activity of the Central Nervous System, and then, produce outputs that replace, restore, increase, supplement or improve the natural outputs of such system. Therefore, the interaction between the human beings and their internal or external environment is transformed. However, over a century being investigated under laboratory conditions, BCIs have not been able to be transferred to the real world. This review aims to: (1) thoroughly understand the structure of a BCI and the system types, (2) analyze the challenge that the scientific community is facing to improve the interaction between user and system from the perspective of the engineering of human factors; and (3) describe the application of this type of assistive technology under development in the Mexican Society. The future of this technology and its effectiveness seem to depend more than ever on factors related to the user subjective perception, and the user adaptation to the system.

How disentangled sense of agency and sense of ownership can interact with different emotional events on stress feelings.

We used the virtual hand illusion paradigm to study how sense of agency and sense of (body) ownership can interact with different emotional events on stress feelings. Converging evidence for at least the partial independence of agency and ownership was found. For instance, sense of agency was a better predictor of individual anxiety levels than sense of ownership and males showed stronger effects related to agency-presumably due to gender-specific attribution styles and empathy skills. Moreover, agency and ownership also interacted with emotional events and led to different anxiety levels. Taken together, our findings suggest that the disentangled sense of agency and sense of ownership can interact with different emotional events and influenced stress feelings more in threatening situations than awarding ones.

How disentangled sense of agency and sense of ownership can interact with different emotional events on stress feelings

Abstract We used the virtual hand illusion paradigm to study how sense of agency and sense of (body) ownership can interact with different emotional events on stress feelings. Converging evidence for at least the partial independence of agency and ownership was found. For instance, sense of agency was a better predictor of individual anxiety levels than sense of ownership and males showed stronger effects related to agency—presumably due to gender-specific attribution styles and empathy skills. Moreover, agency and ownership also interacted with emotional events and led to different anxiety levels. Taken together, our findings suggest that the disentangled sense of agency and sense of ownership can interact with different emotional events and influenced stress feelings more in threatening situations than awarding ones.