Thursday, November 21, 2024 11/21/2024

An Intracortical Brain-Computer Interface Model for High Efficiency Development of Closed-Loop Neural Decoding Algorithms

Award Number: R01NS109257
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

Group Awards By:

View Award Abstract

An intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI) is used to record electrical signals directly from a person's brain, predict their intention from those signals, then control an assistive device (e.g., a computer cursor, prosthetic limb, or powered wheelchair) according to those intentions. This technology enables severely paralyzed people to interact with the world. However, designing robust algorithms to extract intent from recordings of single neurons is extremely challenging, in large part because of the very limited access to humans, or even monkeys, from whom these invasive recordings can be made. In this project, we will develop a model iBCI system that generates real-time biomimetic neural data by capturing the high-degree-of-freedom finger movements of able-bodied human subjects. To accomplish this, we will construct a modular recurrent neural network (RNN). The RNN will be trained to predict the motor cortex activity of a monkey from the monkey's own finger kinematics. Small modules of the RNN will be interchanged according the particular animal or recording session to model the high inter-session variability present in motor cortex. Once the modular RNN is trained, its weights will be fixed and human finger kinematics will be used as the RNN inputs, which will generate subject-controlled emulated neural activity. The emulated neural activity can be passed to iBCI decoding algorithms that control computer cursors or other physical devices, allowing human subjects to interact directly with decoders in real time, closed-loop conditions. We call this model system the jaBCI. The jaBCI is low cost and noninvasive, making it possible to rapidly test and design novel iBCI decoders using statistically rigorous sample sizes. The project will be executed in close collaboration with intracortical microelectrode array data expert Dr. Lee Miller at Northwestern University. Dr. Miller's lab, with the help of our consultant Dr. Mathis, will obtain simultaneous finger kinematics and neural activity of monkey subjects that will serve as the training data for the RNN component of the iBCI model. We will validate the emulated neural data generated by the jaBCI across many measures to ensure the model captures as many features of intracortical data as possible. These include comparing the model and actual iBCI in subject performance, learning rates, control strategies, neural variation across days, neural firing rate distributions, and low-dimensional neural dynamics. With the validated model, we will undertake a study to rigorously evaluate the highest performing, current state-of-the-art iBCI decoders. This will yield useful insight into the features of decoders that yield the greatest performance gains, overcoming the current impossibility to compare iBCI decoders in well-controlled studies using more than two or three naïve human subjects. We will also use the iBCI model to evaluate novel decoder designs, and to determine the features of neural dynamics that are consistent across common iBCI tasks to help focus decoder development on those features.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $535,354 )
2025	2023	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	5	10/8/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$254,534
2025	2022	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	10/8/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$280,820
														Subtotal = $535,354

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = -$535,354 )
2024	2023	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	5	7/25/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$254,534
2024	2022	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	7/25/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$280,820
														Subtotal = -$535,354

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $254,534 )
2023	2023	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	5	5/22/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$254,534
														Subtotal = $254,534

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $308,752 )
2022	2022	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	6/9/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$308,752
														Subtotal = $308,752

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $334,572 )
2021	2021	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	6/10/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$334,572
														Subtotal = $334,572

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $327,626 )
2020	2020	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	6/5/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$327,626
														Subtotal = $327,626

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $367,007 )
2019	2019	FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY	11200 SW 8TH ST	MIAMI	FL	33199	MIAMI-DADE	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	8/14/2019	NEW	$367,007
														Subtotal = $367,007

Grand Total All Awards = $1,592,491

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

An Intracortical Brain-Computer Interface Model for High Efficiency Development of Closed-Loop Neural Decoding Algorithms

Award Number: R01NS109257

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer