I have previously outlined that my users would be those with profound communication disabilities, but near complete mental abilities. While there are many health issues which would present these symptoms, I will be concentrating on those with locked-in syndrome and motor-neuron diseases.
Locked in Syndrome is a condition in which a patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Patients who have locked-in syndrome are conscious and aware, with no loss of cognitive function.
There have been many studies which have attempted to allow those with these issues to communicate in the past, through means as varied as sniffing and eye-tracking using an assistive computer interface technology (such as Dasher). These technologies allow a user to input via a pointing device as opposed to a keyboard.
Further studies have involved direct brain interface mechanisms- but these are currently primitive and speculative (such as these).
Although there are no official statistics available, one estimate, which is based on National Institute of Health statistics on brain-stem strokes and survival information, puts the number at as many as 50,000 individuals in the United States alone (here).
Motor Neuron Diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurons, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and cause progressive disability and death.
Although MND is degenerative, it also presents the same communication issues for sufferers who maintain their consciousness and awareness, but lose their physical abilities. Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous sufferers of MND, and he communicates using Dasher
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