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W. Andrew Robinson
Niels Birbaumer (born 11 May 1945) is an Austrian academic who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen until 2019.[1][2][3]
Research career
In 2017, Birbaumer's study claimed that a brain-computer interface (BCI) device, applied via an electrode cap, enabled four ALS patients to communicate binary responses.[4][5] This drew considerable attention due to its implications for quality of life.[4] However, the study's replicability was questioned, leading to a German Research Foundation (DFG) investigation, which found the research data incomplete and the results flawed.[4] As a result, Birbaumer's work was retracted, his funding revoked, and he was dismissed from the university.[4][6] He relocated to Italy.[4]
Despite the controversy, Birbaumer and his colleague Chaudhary received public support from several scientists.[4] Notably, the BCI technology, which was first demonstrated successfully in a tetraplegic patient in 2006, was applied in Birbaumer's research to a patient without any voluntary muscle control for the first time.[4]
The BCI was implanted in 2019 into the brain of a 34-year-old man with locked-in syndrome. After several trials, researchers decoded "yes" or "no" signals into sentences.[4] The study, which spanned 462 days, was meticulously documented.[4] Seward Rutkove, Chair of Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, affirmed the BCI's efficacy but questioned its practicality due to cost and limited applicability.[4]
In March 2022, Birbaumer published a new study in Nature Communications that builds on his prior work.[4] Birbaumer and Chaudhary also claimed to have won lawsuits supporting the integrity of their PLOS report, showcasing the use of a BCI in a patient devoid of voluntary muscle control.[4]
In April 2022, DFG and Birbaumer settled the legal dispute.[7]
Selected Publications
- Birbaumer, N.; Ghanayim, N.; Hinterberger, T.; Iversen, I.; Kotchoubey, B.; Kübler, A.; Perelmouter, J.; Taub, E.; Flor, H. (1999). "A spelling device for the paralysed". Nature. 398 (6725): 297–298. Bibcode:1999Natur.398..297B. doi:10.1038/18581. PMID 10192330.
- Birbaumer, Niels; Schmidt, Robert F. (2010). Biologische Psychologie (7 ed.). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. ISBN 978-3-662-58025-7.
- Chaudhary, Ujwal; Birbaumer, Niels; Ramos-Murguialday, Ander (2016). "Brain–computer interfaces for communication and rehabilitation". Nature Reviews Neurology. 12 (9): 513–525. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2016.113.
- Sitaram, Ranganatha; Ros, Tomas; Stoeckel, Luke; Haller, Sven; Scharnowski, Frank; Lewis-Peacock, Jarrod; Weiskopf, Nikolaus; Blefari, Maria Laura; Rana, Mohit; Oblak, Ethan; Birbaumer, Niels; Sulzer, James (2017). "Closed-loop brain training: the science of neurofeedback". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 18 (2): 86–100. doi:10.1038/nrn.2016.164. PMID 28003656.
- Birbaumer, Niels; Zittlau, Jörg (2017). Your brain knows more than you think: the new frontiers of neuroplasticity. Melbourne; London: SCRIBE. ISBN 978-1-925322-36-1.
- Birbaumer, Niels; Zittlau, Jörg (2019). Empty brain happy brain: how thinking is overrated. Scribe. ISBN 978-1-911344-58-2.
- The Mind Reader. A life in science. Lulu Press. 2025. ISBN 978-1-300-65556-5.
References
- ^ "Authors. Niels Birbaumer". IEEE Xplore. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Untersuchungskommission stellt wissenschaftliches Fehlverhalten durch Tübinger Hirnforscher fest | University of Tübingen". uni-tuebingen.de.
- ^ "Prof Niels Birbaumer". ABC Radio National.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Keshavan, Meghana (22 March 2022). "With new 'brain-reading' research, a once-tarnished scientist seeks redemption".
- ^ "The Fall of Niels Birbaumer". Discover Magazine.
- ^ Abbott, Alison (21 September 2019). "Prominent German neuroscientist committed misconduct in 'brain-reading' research". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-02862-4. PMID 32951022 – via www.nature.com.
- ^ "DFG and Niels Birbaumer Settle Legal Dispute". www.dfg.de.