Brain–computer interface (BCI) technology enable humans to interact with external devices by decoding their brain signals. Despite it has made some significant breakthroughs in recent years, there are still many obstacles in its applications and extensions. The current used BCI control signals are generally derived from the brain areas involved in primary sensory- or motor-related processing. However, these signals only reflect a limited range of limb movement intention. Therefore, additional sources of brain signals for controlling BCI systems need to be explored. Brain signals derived from the cognitive brain areas are more intuitive and effective. These signals can be used for expand the brain signal sources as a new approach. This paper reviewed the research status of cognitive BCI based on the single brain area and multiple hybrid brain areas, and summarized its applications in the rehabilitation medicine. It’s believed that cognitive BCI technologies would become a possible breakthrough for future BCI rehabilitation applications.