It is disputed whether those neurons in the primary motor cortex（M1） that encode hand orientation constitute an independent channel for orientation control in reach-to-grasp behaviors. Here, we trained two monkeys t...It is disputed whether those neurons in the primary motor cortex（M1） that encode hand orientation constitute an independent channel for orientation control in reach-to-grasp behaviors. Here, we trained two monkeys to reach forward and grasp objects positioned in the frontal plane at different orientation angles, and simultaneously recorded the activity of M1 neurons. Among the 2235 neurons recorded in M1, we found that 18.7% had a high correlation exclusively with hand orientation, 15.9% with movement direction, and 29.5% with both movement direction and hand orientation. The distributions of neurons encoding hand orientation and those encoding movement direction were not uniform but coexisted in the same region. The trajectory of hand rotation was reproduced by the firing patterns of the orientation-related neurons independent of the hand reaching direction. These resultssuggest that hand orientation is an independent component for the control of reaching and grasping activity.展开更多
As the needs of disabled patients are increasingly recognized in society, researchers have begun to use single neuron activity to construct brain-computer interfaces （BCI）, designed to facilitate the daily lives of ...As the needs of disabled patients are increasingly recognized in society, researchers have begun to use single neuron activity to construct brain-computer interfaces （BCI）, designed to facilitate the daily lives of individuals with physical disabilities. BCI systems typically allow users to control computer programs or external devices via signals produced in the motor or pre-motor areas of the brain, rather than producing actual motor movements. However, impairments in these brain areas can hinder the application of BCI. The current paper demonstrates the feasibility of a one-dimensional （ID） machine controlled by rat prefrontal cortex （PFC） neurons using an encoding method. In this novel system, rats are able to quench thirst by varying neuronal firing rate in the PFC to manipulate a water dish that can rotate in 1 D. The results revealed that control commands generated by an appropriate firing frequency in rat PFC exhibited performance improvements with practice, indicated by increasing water-drinking duration and frequency. These results demonstrated that it is possible for rats to understand an encoding-based BCI system and control a 1D machine using PFC activity to obtain reward.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61233015 and 31460263)the National Basic Research Development Program(973 Program)of China(2013CB329506)
文摘It is disputed whether those neurons in the primary motor cortex（M1） that encode hand orientation constitute an independent channel for orientation control in reach-to-grasp behaviors. Here, we trained two monkeys to reach forward and grasp objects positioned in the frontal plane at different orientation angles, and simultaneously recorded the activity of M1 neurons. Among the 2235 neurons recorded in M1, we found that 18.7% had a high correlation exclusively with hand orientation, 15.9% with movement direction, and 29.5% with both movement direction and hand orientation. The distributions of neurons encoding hand orientation and those encoding movement direction were not uniform but coexisted in the same region. The trajectory of hand rotation was reproduced by the firing patterns of the orientation-related neurons independent of the hand reaching direction. These resultssuggest that hand orientation is an independent component for the control of reaching and grasping activity.
基金supported by the Brain Research Center of the 21st Century Frontier Research Program (Grant No. 2009K001280)funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Koreathe Industrial Source Technology Development Program (Grant No. 10033634-2009-11) of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) of Koreathe Priority Research Centers Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education,Science and Technology (Grant No. 2009-0094073)
文摘As the needs of disabled patients are increasingly recognized in society, researchers have begun to use single neuron activity to construct brain-computer interfaces （BCI）, designed to facilitate the daily lives of individuals with physical disabilities. BCI systems typically allow users to control computer programs or external devices via signals produced in the motor or pre-motor areas of the brain, rather than producing actual motor movements. However, impairments in these brain areas can hinder the application of BCI. The current paper demonstrates the feasibility of a one-dimensional （ID） machine controlled by rat prefrontal cortex （PFC） neurons using an encoding method. In this novel system, rats are able to quench thirst by varying neuronal firing rate in the PFC to manipulate a water dish that can rotate in 1 D. The results revealed that control commands generated by an appropriate firing frequency in rat PFC exhibited performance improvements with practice, indicated by increasing water-drinking duration and frequency. These results demonstrated that it is possible for rats to understand an encoding-based BCI system and control a 1D machine using PFC activity to obtain reward.
