Visualisation of human basal ganglia neuron responses using the generative topographic mapping (GTM) algorithm

We present a data set obtained from neurophysiological recordings made from single neurons in the human basal ganglia in relation to movements of the limbs during surgical procedures for Parkinson's disease. Data from both the pre-movement (movement preparation) phase and the post-movement phase were recorded in 25 cells in 9 patients. Using the generative topographic mapping algorithm (GTM), we show that the data corresponding to individual cells cluster in different parts of the map, which suggests that different cells have their own distinct firing pattern. The self-organising map as implemented by GTM appears to be a useful tool for visualising the responses of these neurons in relation to movement.