title: Learning-induced Dependence of Neuronal Activity in Primary Motor Cortex on Motor Task Condition.
abstract: A brain-computer interface (BCI) system such as a cortically controlled robotic arm must have a capacity of adjusting its function to a specific environmental condition. We studied this capacity in non-human primates based on chronic multi-electrode recording from the primary motor cortex of a monkey during the animal's performance of a center-out 3D reaching task and adaptation to external force perturbations. The main condition-related feature of motor cortical activity observed before the onset of force perturbation was a phasic raise of activity immediately before the perturbation onset. This feature was observed during a series of perturbation trials, but were absent under no perturbations. After adaptation has been completed, it usually was taking the subject only one trial to recognize a change in the condition to switch the neuronal activity accordingly. These condition-dependent features of neuronal activity can be used by a BCI for recognizing a change in the environmental condition and making corresponding adjustments, which requires that the BCI-based control system possess such advanced properties of the neural motor control system as capacity to learn and adapt.
authors.affiliation: Harrington Department of Bioengineering, Center for Neural Interface Design, the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimansky
authors.forename: Jiping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He