The Effect of Spike Sorting on the Observed Dynamics of Population Neural Activity During Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Control

CNBC Brain Bag
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC)

The Effect of Spike Sorting on the Observed Dynamics of Population Neural Activity During Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Control

Erinn Grigsby
Graduate Student, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition
University of Pittsburgh
February 26, 2018 - 6:00pm
Mellon Institute Social Room

Precise reaches to a small target should be incredibly difficult, as we must consider the best path to reach to the target, the speed of the movement to the target, and how the movement evolves through time. Yet despite the complexity of this system, we are constantly performing stereotyped movements with minimal thought. The ease and speed at which we perform these tasks reflect the existence of temporal dynamics in the neural activity. Previous work has proposed that temporal dynamics are a key signature of neural computations such as short-term memory, decision-making, oculomotor integration, and motor control. Our lab is curious if these observed neural dynamics are inherent to the given task or to the neural circuitry. To answer this question, we use a brain-computer interface (BCI) to search for population neural dynamics while a non-human primate performs a point-to-point cursor task. Here I will present the preliminary data of population neural dynamics during BCI control. I will then discuss how spike sorting our data affected the dynamics that we observed