Characterization of visuomotor encoding in the human premotor eye field (PEF) using intracortical neural recordings
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Tung, Kaitlyn Alexandra
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Abstract
Quadriplegia, a condition characterized by the loss of motor function in all four limbs, significantly impacts the daily lives of those affected. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have emerged as a promising solution to restore function by decoding neural signals. This study investigates the potential for decoding eye movements alongside hand movements, utilizing intracortical neural recordings from the premotor eye field (PEF) and area 55b, a speech related region. A participant in the BrainGate2 clinical trial with an implant in the PEF/55b was instructed to perform a task separating eye and hand movements. Neural activity was recorded using a microelectrode array, and the data was processed to identify modality and direction encoding. Results show that the PEF encodes hand and eye movements modalities distinctly. The PEF region also encodes direction consistently across modalities. These findings indicate that the PEF/55b region may play a role in coordinating hand and eye movements. This work may lead to improved BCI design by considering eye movement alongside hand movements, potentially improving multimodal control for individuals with severe motor impairments.
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Undergraduate Research Option Thesis