The effect of age on human motor electrocorticographic signals and implications for brain–computer interface applications

Electrocorticography (ECoG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) systems have emerged as a new signal platform for neuroprosthetic application. ECoG-based platforms have shown significant promise for clinical application due to the high level of information that can be derived from the ECoG signal, the signal's stability, and its intermediate nature of surgical invasiveness. However, before long-term BCI applications can be realized it will be important to also understand how the cortical physiology alters with age. Such understanding may provide an appreciation for how this may affect the control signals utilized by a chronic implant. In this study, we report on a large population of adult and pediatric invasively monitored subjects to determine the impact that age will have on surface cortical physiology. We evaluated six frequency bands--delta (