An auditory-mediated communication paradigm for evaluating individual needs and motivational states in locked-in patients.

Audacity software was used to combining the vocal track with a background context coherent with the verbal content. Human voices were recorded using Microphone 202 K38 by Hompower (SNR = 80 dB). The semantic content, the prosodic intonation and the emotional tone of all voices were coherent and appropriately matched.

Some of the background sounds were recorded using the same microphone, while others were sourced from the publicly accessible BBC Sound Effects library for scientific purposes (sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search). Research was funded by ATE – Fondo di Ateneo No. 31159-2019-ATE-0064, University of Milano-Bicocca. The research project, entitled “Auditory imagery in BCI mental reconstruction” was preapproved by the Research Assessment Committee of the Department of Psychology (CRIP) for minimal risk projects, under the aegis of the Ethical committee of University of Milano-Bicocca, on February 9th, 2024, protocol n: RM-2024-775).