Response of simultaneously recorded cortical neurons to perturbations in arm trajectory

Cortical neural prostheses may someday be used to augment or restore lost motor functions by deriving movement commands from neural activity recorded in the brain. Many studies have identified relationships between the discharge patterns of cortical neurons and arm movement parameters (e.g. direction and force). We are currently investigating these relationships in simultaneously recorded cortical neurons to generate a movement command in real-time. A perturbation paradigm has been implemented to study changes in cortical activity as the monkey responds and adapts to a perturbation in trajectory. Over 40 neurons were recorded simultaneously over a 2-week period. Distinct and stable cortical responses (to movement and perturbation) were observed across the two weeks of trials.