A cross-brain interaction platform based on neurofeedback using electroencephalogram

Abstract

Cross-brain neural synchronization has widely been found between participants during social interactions and is suggested to play an important role in human social interactions. Neurofeedback technology feeds the neural signatures of a participant back to himself to modulate his own brain activity. Researches have applied the technology into cross-brain interactions using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and let two participants do collaborative tasks using brain activities. However, there are few studies in terms of cross-brain interaction based on Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals using neurofeedback technology. In this study, we developed a cross-brain interaction platform based on EEG signals using neurofeedback technology. The platform allows the participants to achieve cross-brain interaction directly with the medium of neurofeedback instead of other participants’ body languages or sounds. It was validated with an experiment using a “tug-of-war” game. Through the offline analysis, synchronization between the subjects were found at beta frequency bands across the brains. Cross-brain synchronization reflects the interaction state across the brains and may reflect the strategy that the participants choose. This study is still a preliminary work and needs further work to do.