Frontal and parietal cortical ensembles predict single-trial muscle activity during reaching movements in primates

  1. David M. Santucci1,
  2. Jerald D. Kralik2,
  3. Mikhail A. Lebedev1,3,
  4. Miguel A. L. Nicolelis1,3,4,5

Article first published online: 27 SEP 2005

DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04320.x

Issue

European Journal of Neuroscience

European Journal of Neuroscience

Volume 22, Issue 6, pages 1529–1540, September 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Santucci, D. M., Kralik, J. D., Lebedev, M. A. and Nicolelis, M. A. L. (2005), Frontal and parietal cortical ensembles predict single-trial muscle activity during reaching movements in primates. European Journal of Neuroscience, 22: 1529–1540. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04320.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Neurobiology, Box 3209, Duke University Medical Center, 101 Research Drive, Room 327E, Durham, NC 27710, USA

  2. 2

    Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

  3. 3

    Center for Neuroengineering,

  4. 4

    Department of Biomedical Engineering, and

  5. 5

    Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

*Dr M. A. L. Nicolelis, Department of Neurobiology, Room 327E Bryan Research Building, as above. E-mail: nicoleli@neuro.duke.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 27 SEP 2005
  2. Article first published online: 27 SEP 2005
  3. Received 14 July 2004, revised 11 July 2005, accepted 13 July 2005

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Keywords:

  • brain–machine interface;
  • EMG;
  • motor cortex;
  • multielectrode physiology;
  • posterior parietal cortex;
  • premotor cortex;
  • somatosensory cortex

Abstract

Previously we have shown that the kinematic parameters of reaching movements can be extracted from the activity of cortical ensembles. Here we used cortical ensemble activity to predict electromyographic (EMG) signals of four arm muscles in New World monkeys. The overall shape of the EMG envelope was predicted, as well as trial-to-trial variations in the amplitude and timing of bursts of muscle activity. Predictions of EMG patterns exhibited during reaching movements could be obtained not only from primary motor cortex, but also from dorsal premotor, primary somatosensory and posterior parietal cortices. These results suggest that these areas represent signals correlated to EMGs of arm muscles in a distributed manner, and that the larger the population sampled, the more reliable the predictions. We propose that, in the future, recordings from multiple cortical areas and the extraction of muscle patterns from these recordings will help to restore limb mobility in paralysed patients.

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