Review 21: Cracking the Neural Code in Humans

Cracking the Neural Code in Humans by Emily Singer at the Simons Foundation.

• Neuropixels: high resolution brain recording from implanted electrodes.
• Until recently Neuropixel devices are only used on primates and rodents, but now they can be used in people thanks to Dr. Paulk and Dr. Cash at Cashlab.
• Neural recordings for brain computer interfaces are researched in clinical trials due to the risks associated with implantable electrodes.
• However further development of the decoding that can be performed at various resolutions helps inform new and more effective BCI.
• Short, fast, and simple tasks may help understand neural coding at a more basic level.
• Primary application is that the user would control a robotic arm or robotic device that responds to decoded brain activity.
• Utah microelectrode array as the leading measurement device for 7 years.
• RNN Decoder translates Neural activity from 200 neurons into characters at rate of 90 characters per minute.

Shenoy 2022

Your brain is actually issuing more information per second when you handwrite than when you make a straight line. That increased complexity made it easier to quickly decode the intended letter — and offers new opportunities for exploring neural coding,”

• Dr. Pandarinath researchers fast finger movements, unlike commonly researched reaching and grasping movements.
• Dr. Stavisky and Dr. Shenoy are able to reliably deocde speech related neural activity from handknob area in people who can’t move their hands but can still speak.
• Still the question of what machinery is used for what task is outstanding. It will be hard to map areas even between common tasks like walking and running.
• Lower dimension manifolds for interpreting neural recodings.
• Neuropixels code and data are public.
• Dr. Paulk says diversity of waveforms produced is a new and surprising result.
• There still exist significant engineering challenges around neuropixels, like how to stablize the device and transmit data.