Brain-Computer Interfaces for Communication and Control
From: Communications of the ACM - 05/2011 - page 60
By: Dennis J. McFarland and Jonathan R. Wolpaw

The brain's electrical signals enable people without muscle control to
physically interact with the world. 

Brain activity produces electrical signals detectable on the scalp, on the
cortical surface, or within the brain. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)
translate these signals into outputs that allow users to communicate without
participation of peripheral nerves and muscles. Because they do not depend on
neuromuscular control, BCIs provide options for communication and control for
people with devastating neuromuscular disorders (such as amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, or ALS, brainstem stroke, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injury).
The central purpose of BCI research and development is to enable these users
to convey their wishes to caregivers, use word-processing programs and other
software, and even control a robotic arm or neuroprosthesis. Speculation has
suggested that BCIs could be useful even to people with lesser, or no, motor
impairment. 

Read the entire article at:
http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2011/5/107704-brain-computer-interfaces-for-communication-and-control/fulltext

Link:
BCI2000 standard
http://www.bci2000.org/BCI2000/Home.html