Miniature Neurologgers for Flying Pigeons: Multichannel EEG and Action and Field Potentials in Combination With GPS Recording

2006 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 1263-1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexei L. Vyssotski ◽  
Andrei N. Serkov ◽  
Pavel M. Itskov ◽  
Giacomo Dell'Omo ◽  
Alexander V. Latanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
High Throughput Screening ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Radio Telemetry ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Analog Digital Converter ◽  
Band Pass

To study the neurophysiology of large-scale spatial cognition, we analyzed the neuronal activity of navigating homing pigeons. This is not possible using conventional radio-telemetry suitable for short distances only. Therefore we developed a miniaturized data logger (“neurologger”) that can be carried by a homing pigeon on its back, in conjunction with a micro-global position system (GPS) logger recording the spatial position of the bird. In its present state, the neurologger permits recording from up to eight single-ended or differential electrodes in a walking or flying pigeon. Inputs from eight independent channels are preamplified, band-pass filtered, and directed to an eight-channel, 10-bit analog-digital converter of the microcontroller storing data on a “Multimedia” or “Secure Digital” card. For electroencephalography (EEG), the logger permits simultaneous recordings of up to eight channels during maximally 47 h, depending on memory, while single unit activity from two channels can be stored over 9 h. The logger permits single unit separation from recorded multiunit signals. The neurologger with GPS represents a better alternative to telemetry that will eventually permit to record neuronal activity during cognitive and innate behavior of many species moving freely in their habitats but will also permit automated high-throughput screening of EEG in the laboratory.

Effect of Eye Opening on Single-Unit Activity and Local Field Potentials in the Subthalamic Nucleus

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Chockalingam ◽  
Abigail Belasen ◽  
Nita Chen ◽  
Adolfo Ramirez-Zamora ◽  
Youngwon Youn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Subthalamic Nucleus ◽  
Local Field ◽  
Unit Activity ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Local Field Potentials ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Eye Opening

scholarly journals Visual epidural field potentials possess high functional specificity in single trials

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (4) ◽  
pp. 1634-1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Fischer ◽  
Andreas Schander ◽  
Andreas K. Kreiter ◽  
Walter Lang ◽  
Detlef Wegener
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Invasive Approach ◽  
Spatial Selectivity ◽  
Minimal Invasiveness

Recordings of epidural field potentials (EFPs) allow neuronal activity to be acquired over a large region of cortical tissue with minimal invasiveness. Because electrodes are placed on top of the dura and do not enter the neuronal tissue, EFPs offer intriguing options for both clinical and basic science research. On the other hand, EFPs represent the integrated activity of larger neuronal populations and possess a higher trial-by-trial variability and a reduced signal-to-noise ratio due the additional barrier of the dura. It is thus unclear whether and to what extent EFPs have sufficient spatial selectivity to allow for conclusions about the underlying functional cortical architecture, and whether single EFP trials provide enough information on the short timescales relevant for many clinical and basic neuroscience purposes. We used the high spatial resolution of primary visual cortex to address these issues and investigated the extent to which very short EFP traces allow reliable decoding of spatial information. We briefly presented different visual objects at one of nine closely adjacent locations and recorded neuronal activity with a high-density epidural multielectrode array in three macaque monkeys. With the use of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) to identify the most informative data, machine-learning algorithms provided close-to-perfect classification rates for all 27 stimulus conditions. A binary classifier applying a simple max function on ROC-selected data further showed that single trials might be classified with 100% performance even without advanced offline classifiers. Thus, although highly variable, EFPs constitute an extremely valuable source of information and offer new perspectives for minimally invasive recording of large-scale networks. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Epidural field potential (EFP) recordings provide a minimally invasive approach to investigate large-scale neural networks, but little is known about whether they possess the required specificity for basic and clinical neuroscience. By making use of the spatial selectivity of primary visual cortex, we show that single-trial information can be decoded with close-to-perfect performance, even without using advanced classifiers and based on very few data. This labels EFPs as a highly attractive and widely usable signal.

Effects of ouabain on neuronal thermosensitivity in hypothalamic tissue slices

1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (1) ◽  
pp. R21-R28
Author(s):  
M. C. Curras ◽  
J. A. Boulant
Keyword(s):  
Firing Rate ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Unit Activity ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Tissue Slices ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Cold Sensitive ◽  
Hypothalamic Tissue

To determine the role of the electrogenic Na+-K+ pump in neuronal thermosensitivity, single-unit activity was recorded in rat hypothalamic tissue slices before, during, and after perfusions containing 10(-5) or 10(-6) M ouabain, a specific pump inhibitor. Most neurons were recorded in the preoptic-anterior hypothalamus. Some neurons were also tested with high magnesium-low calcium perfusions to determine ouabain's effects on neuronal activity during synaptic blockade. When the neurons were characterized according to thermosensitivity, 24% were warm sensitive, 8% were cold sensitive, and 68% were temperature insensitive. Ouabain increased the firing rate of 60% of all neurons. Ouabain did not reduce the thermosensitivity of cold-sensitive and warm-sensitive neurons; however, temperature-insensitive neurons became more warm sensitive during ouabain perfusion. This increase in warm sensitivity did not occur with ouabain plus high Mg2+-low Ca2+ perfusion, suggesting that Ca2+ is important in this response. These results indicate that the Na-K pump is not responsible for the thermosensitivity of hypothalamic cold-sensitive or warm-sensitive neurons; however, this pump may be actively employed by many neurons that remain insensitive to temperature changes.

scholarly journals Single-unit activity, threshold crossings, and local field potentials in motor cortex differentially encode reach kinematics

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 1500-1512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagi Perel ◽  
Patrick T. Sadtler ◽  
Emily R. Oby ◽  
Stephen I. Ryu ◽  
Elizabeth C. Tyler-Kabara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Cortex ◽  
Local Field ◽  
Unit Activity ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Field Potentials ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Threshold Crossing

A diversity of signals can be recorded with extracellular electrodes. It remains unclear whether different signal types convey similar or different information and whether they capture the same or different underlying neural phenomena. Some researchers focus on spiking activity, while others examine local field potentials, and still others posit that these are fundamentally the same signals. We examined the similarities and differences in the information contained in four signal types recorded simultaneously from multielectrode arrays implanted in primary motor cortex: well-isolated action potentials from putative single units, multiunit threshold crossings, and local field potentials (LFPs) at two distinct frequency bands. We quantified the tuning of these signal types to kinematic parameters of reaching movements. We found 1) threshold crossing activity is not a proxy for single-unit activity; 2) when examined on individual electrodes, threshold crossing activity more closely resembles LFP activity at frequencies between 100 and 300 Hz than it does single-unit activity; 3) when examined across multiple electrodes, threshold crossing activity and LFP integrate neural activity at different spatial scales; and 4) LFP power in the “beta band” (between 10 and 40 Hz) is a reliable indicator of movement onset but does not encode kinematic features on an instant-by-instant basis. These results show that the diverse signals recorded from extracellular electrodes provide somewhat distinct and complementary information. It may be that these signal types arise from biological phenomena that are partially distinct. These results also have practical implications for harnessing richer signals to improve brain-machine interface control.

scholarly journals Visual epidural field potentials possess high functional specificity in single trials

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Fischer ◽  
Andreas Schander ◽  
Andreas K. Kreiter ◽  
Walter Lang ◽  
Detlef Wegener
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Electrode Array ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Minimal Invasiveness

AbstractRecordings of epidural field potentials (EFPs) allow to acquire neuronal activity over a large region of cortical tissue with minimal invasiveness. Because electrodes are placed on top of the dura and do not enter the neuronal tissue, EFPs offer intriguing options for both clinical and basic science research. On the other hand, EFPs represent the integrated activity of larger neuronal populations, possess a higher trial-by-trial variability, and a reduced signal-to-noise ratio due the additional barrier of the dura. It is thus unclear whether and to what extent EFPs have sufficient spatial selectivity to allow for conclusions about the underlying functional cortical architecture, and whether single EFP trials provide enough information on the short time scales relevant for many clinical and basic neuroscience purposes. We here use the high spatial resolution of primary visual cortex to address these issues and investigate the extent to which very short EFP traces allow reliable decoding of spatial information. We briefly presented different visual objects at one out of nine closely adjacent locations and recorded neuronal activity with a high-density, epidural multi-electrode array in three macaque monkeys. Using receiver-operating characteristics to identify most-informative data, machine-learning algorithms provided close-to-perfect classification rates for all 27 stimulus conditions. A binary classifier applying a simple max function on ROC-selected data further showed that single trials might be classified with 100% performance even without advanced offline classifiers. Thus, although highly variable, EFPs constitute an extremely valuable source of information and offer new perspectives for minimally invasive recording of large-scale networks.

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