Published May 5, 2021 | Version Accepted Version + Supplemental Material + Submitted
Journal Article Open

Single-trial decoding of movement intentions using functional ultrasound neuroimaging

Abstract

New technologies are key to understanding the dynamic activity of neural circuits and systems in the brain. Here, we show that a minimally invasive approach based on ultrasound can be used to detect the neural correlates of movement planning, including directions and effectors. While non-human primates (NHPs) performed memory-guided movements, we used functional ultrasound (fUS) neuroimaging to record changes in cerebral blood volume with 100 μm resolution. We recorded from outside the dura above the posterior parietal cortex, a brain area important for spatial perception, multisensory integration, and movement planning. We then used fUS signals from the delay period before movement to decode the animals' intended direction and effector. Single-trial decoding is a prerequisite to brain-machine interfaces, a key application that could benefit from this technology. These results are a critical step in the development of neuro-recording and brain interface tools that are less invasive, high resolution, and scalable.

Additional Information

© 2021 Elsevier Inc. Received 2 July 2020, Revised 29 December 2020, Accepted 1 March 2021, Available online 22 March 2021. We thank Kelsie Pejsa for assistance with animal care, surgeries, and training. We thank Thomas Deffieux for his contributions to the ultrasound neuroimaging methods that made this work possible. We thank Igor Kagan for assisting in implantation planning. We thank Charles Liu and Claire Rabut for helpful discussions. Finally, we thank Krissta Passanante for her illustrations. S.N. was supported by a Della Martin Postdoctoral Fellowship. D.M. was supported by a Human Frontiers Science Program Cross-Disciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship (award LT000637/2016). W.G. was supported by the UCLA-Caltech MSTP (NIGMS T32 GM008042). This research was supported by the National Institute of Health BRAIN Initiative (grant U01NS099724 to M.G.S.), the T&C Chen Brain-machine Interface Center, and the Boswell Foundation (R.A.A.). Related research in the Shapiro lab is supported by the Heritage Medical Research Institute. Author contributions: S.L.N., D.M., V.N.C., M.T., M.G.S., and R.A.A. conceived the study; D.M. and C.D. established the imaging sequences; S.L.N., V.N.C., and W.G. trained the animals; S.L.N., V.N.C., D.M., and W.G. acquired the data; S.L.N., D.M., and V.N.C. performed the data processing; S.L.N., D.M., and V.N.C. drafted the manuscript with substantial contribution from M.G.S. and R.A.A., and all authors edited and approved the final version of the manuscript; M.T., M.G.S., and R.A.A. supervised the research. Declaration of interests: M.T. is a co-founder and shareholder of Iconeus Company, which commercializes ultrasonic neuroimaging scanners. D.M. is now affiliated with T.U. Delft, Netherlands. V.C. is now affiliated with University of California, Riverside.

Attached Files

Accepted Version - nihms-1683074.pdf

Submitted - 2020.05.12.086132v1.full.pdf

Supplemental Material - 1-s2.0-S0896627321001513-mmc1.pdf

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Additional details

Identifiers

PMCID
PMC8105283
Eprint ID
103226
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20200515-085712838

Related works

Funding

Della Martin Foundation
Human Frontier Science Program
LT000637/2016
NIH Predoctoral Fellowship
T32 GM008042
NIH
U01NS099724
Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience
James G. Boswell Foundation
Heritage Medical Research Institute

Dates

Created
2020-05-15
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2022-05-11
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Caltech groups
Heritage Medical Research Institute, Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering (BBE)