BCIwiki (bciwiki.com) — According to a Journal of Neural Engineering record dated 2026-10-29, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University examined how attentional load during dual-tasking affects motor cortex-based intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) performance. Two participants with tetraplegia, P2 and P4, completed the study while enrolled in a long-term clinical trial of an iBCI device.
Participants performed a 2D cursor movement and click task using the iBCI alongside an N-Back working memory task designed to increase attentional load. Simultaneously recorded scalp electroencephalography (EEG) measured theta and alpha band power, neural correlates of attention, alongside difficulty ratings. Scalp EEG tracked attention-related measures; the intracortical interface provided cursor control.
EEG measures and difficulty ratings suggested increased attentional load during dual-tasking, while iBCI performance remained largely stable across the dual-task conditions. P2 showed small but significant increases in trial completion time and normalized path length under mild attentional load compared with moderate load. This comparison was not against a single-task condition and did not show a simple progressive decline as load increased.
The authors suggested that signal quality differences may have influenced the results. P2 had lower signal quality and may have been more vulnerable to attentional load, whereas P4's higher signal quality may have helped him accommodate increased load without reduced performance. These are interpretations of the findings. The results concern these two participants and the tested tasks, rather than establishing resistance to every form of everyday distraction.