Active sensing of target location encoded by cortical microstimulation

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Sensory Systems
• Neuroprosthetics

Background:

• Cortical microstimulation aims to restore sensory percepts by bypassing damaged pathways.
• Active sensing involves integrating sensory and motor information, a paradigm not yet tested with cortical microstimulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the efficacy of cortical microstimulation in an active sensing paradigm.
• To investigate sensorimotor integration using real-time, movement-contingent brain stimulation.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel behavioral paradigm using real-time whisker tracking in actively whisking rats.
• Delivered microstimulation to the barrel cortex contingent upon whisker position during active exploration.
• Assessed rats' ability to integrate microstimulation cues with whisker position to infer target location.

Main Results:

• Rats successfully integrated microstimulation cues with whisker position to determine target location along the rostro-caudal axis in under 200 ms.
• Stimulation in the barrel cortex was perceptually similar to natural somatosensory stimuli, as rats responded similarly to microstimulation and whisker deflections while ignoring auditory distractors.

Conclusions:

• Cortical microstimulation can be effectively integrated into active sensing behaviors.
• This approach holds promise for developing advanced sensorimotor neuroprostheses that leverage active exploration.