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Review
. 2023 Aug 4;10(1):20.
doi: 10.1186/s40708-023-00199-3.

Brain-computer interface: trend, challenges, and threats

Baraka Maiseli  1 , Abdi T Abdalla  2 , Libe V Massawe  2 , Mercy Mbise  3 , Khadija Mkocha  2 , Nassor Ally Nassor  2 , Moses Ismail  2 , James Michael  2 , Samwel Kimambo  2
Affiliations
Review

Brain-computer interface: trend, challenges, and threats

Baraka Maiseli et al. Brain Inform. .

Abstract

Brain-computer interface (BCI), an emerging technology that facilitates communication between brain and computer, has attracted a great deal of research in recent years. Researchers provide experimental results demonstrating that BCI can restore the capabilities of physically challenged people, hence improving the quality of their lives. BCI has revolutionized and positively impacted several industries, including entertainment and gaming, automation and control, education, neuromarketing, and neuroergonomics. Notwithstanding its broad range of applications, the global trend of BCI remains lightly discussed in the literature. Understanding the trend may inform researchers and practitioners on the direction of the field, and on where they should invest their efforts more. Noting this significance, we have analyzed 25,336 metadata of BCI publications from Scopus to determine advancement of the field. The analysis shows an exponential growth of BCI publications in China from 2019 onwards, exceeding those from the United States that started to decline during the same period. Implications and reasons for this trend are discussed. Furthermore, we have extensively discussed challenges and threats limiting exploitation of BCI capabilities. A typical BCI architecture is hypothesized to address two prominent BCI threats, privacy and security, as an attempt to make the technology commercially viable to the society.

Keywords: Augmented reality; Brain activity; Brain–computer interface; Machine learning; Neurological disease; Signal processing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Main components of the brain–computer interface (BCI) system
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Evolution of brain–computer interface publications. (Data collected from Scopus on 26 August 2022.)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Number of publications on brain–computer interface per country. (Data collected from Scopus on 26 August 2022.)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Collaboration network among countries based on publications in brain–computer interface
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Collaboration network of organizations supporting research on brain–computer interface. (Data collected from Scopus on 26 August 2022.)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Brain–computer interface (BCI) system with encryption and decryption components for enhancing privacy
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Number of brain–computer interface publications per discipline
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Proposed procedures for practical administration of brain–computer interface devices
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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