Betts Peters, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

  • Research Assistant Professor of Institute on Development and Disability, School of Medicine

Biography

Betts is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist specializing in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and assistive technology. She has been with REKNEW (Reclaiming Expressive KNowledge in Elders With communication impairments) Projects since 2012, working with Dr. Melanie Fried-Oken on research aiming to improve communication for individuals with severe speech and physical impairments. Her research interests include brain-computer interface systems for communication by people with locked-in syndrome, communicative participation for people who use AAC, and improving communication interventions for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Betts also works with the departments of Neurology and Neurological Surgery, evaluating and supporting patients undergoing awake craniotomy.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2002, Reed College
    • B.A., 2005, Portland State University
    • M.A., 2008, Northwestern University
    • Ph.D., 2022, Portland State University

  • Certifications

    • Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP)

Memberships and associations:

  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • Oregon Speech-Language & Hearing Association

Areas of interest

  • Brain-Computer Interface
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication
  • Assistive Technology
  • Locked-In Syndrome
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases

Publications

Selected publications

  • Peters, B., Eddy, B., Galvin-McLaughlin, D., Betz, G., Oken, B., & Fried-Oken, M. (2022) A systematic review of research on augmentative and alternative communication brain-computer interface systems for individuals with disabilities. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 16:952380.
  • Colgan, D.D., Eddy, A., Aulet-Leon, M., Green, K., Peters, B., Shangraw, R., Han, S.J., Raslan, A., & Oken, B. (2021). Compassion, communication, and the perception of control: a mixed methods study to investigate patients’ perspectives on clinical practices for alleviating distress and promoting empowerment during awake craniotomies. British Journal of Neurosurgery.
  • Peters, B., Bedrick, S., Dudy, S., Eddy, B., Higger, M., Kinsella, M., McLaughlin, D., Memmott, T.R., Oken, B., Quivira, F., Spaulding, S., & Erdogmus, D. (2020). SSVEP BCI and eye tracking use by individuals with late-stage ALS and visual impairments. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 457.
  • Fried-Oken, M., Kinsella, M., Peters, B., Eddy, B., & Wojciechowski, B. (2020). Human visual skills for brain-computer interface use: A tutorial. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 15(7), 799-809.
  • Peters, B., Mooney, A., Oken, B. & Fried-Oken, M. (2016). Soliciting BCI user experience feedback from people with severe speech and physical impairments. Brain-Computer Interfaces, 3(1), 47-58.
  • Andresen, E.M., Fried-Oken, M., Peters, B., & Patrick, D.L. (2016). Initial constructs for patient-centered outcome measures to evaluate brain-computer interfaces. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 11:7, 548-557.
  • Fried-Oken, M., Mooney, A., & Peters, B. (2015). Supporting communication for patients with neurodegenerative disease. NeuroRehabilitation, 37(1), 69-87.
  • Peters, B., Bieker, G., Heckman, S. M., Huggins, J. E., Wolf, C., Zeitlin, D., & Fried-Oken, M. (2015). Brain-computer interface users speak up: the Virtual Users' Forum at the 2013 International BCI Meeting. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96(3 Suppl 1), S33-S37.
  • Fried-Oken, M., Mooney, A., Peters, B., & Oken, B. (2015). A clinical screening protocol for the RSVP Keyboard™ brain computer interface. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 10(1), 11-18.
  • Oken, B., Orhan, U., Roark, B., Erdogmus, D., Fowler, A., Mooney, A., Peters, B., Miller, M., & Fried-Oken, M. (2014). Brain-computer interface with language model-EEG fusion for locked-in syndrome. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 28(4), 387-394.
  • Akcakaya, M., Peters, B., Mooney, A., Orhan, U., Oken, B., Erdogmus, D., & Fried-Oken, M. (2014). Noninvasive brain computer interfaces for augmentative and alternative communication. Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 7, 31-49.
  • Peters, B., Higger, M., Quivira, F., Bedrick, S., Dudy, S., Eddy, B. ... & Erdogmus, D. (2018). Effects of simulated visual acuity and ocular motility impairments on SSVEP brain-computer interface performance: An experiment with Shuffle Speller. Brain-Computer Interfaces, 5(2-3), 58-72.
  • Klein, E., Peters, B., & Higger, M. (2018). Ethical considerations in ending exploratory brain–computer interface research studies in locked-in syndrome. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 27(4), 660-674.
  • Eddy, B., Garrett, S.C., Rajen, S., Peters, B., Wiedrick, J., McLaughlin, D., O’Connor, A., Renda, A., Huggins, J. E., & Fried-Oken, M. (2019). Trends in research participant categories and descriptions in abstracts from the International BCI Meeting series, 1999 to 2016. Brain-Computer Interfaces. DOI:10.1080/2326263X.2019.1643203.

Publications