Pre-frontal control of closed-loop limbic neurostimulation by rodents using a brain-computer interface

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Brain-Computer Interfaces

Background:

• Closed-loop neurostimulators offer potential for treating neurological and psychiatric conditions with fluctuating symptoms.
• Preclinical animal models are crucial for advancing the development of these sophisticated systems.
• Investigating brain-state-responsive neurostimulation requires effective methods for control and assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate that rodents can volitionally control a closed-loop limbic neurostimulator using a brain-computer interface (BCI).
• To establish a preclinical model for testing closed-loop neurostimulator systems.
• To explore the potential of prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity for direct BCI control.

Main Methods:

• Rats were trained to operate an auditory BCI driven by single-unit recordings from the PFC.
• The BCI modulated electrical stimulation in the medial forebrain bundle, a key reward pathway.
• Offline analyses confirmed volitional control and assessed BCI performance and PFC activity modulation.

Main Results:

• All rats successfully learned to operate the BCI and neurostimulator system.
• Closed-loop control was achieved in 80% of PFC recording sites, demonstrating robust BCI performance.
• Statistically significant and rapid modulation of PFC activity was confirmed across sessions and animals.

Conclusions:

• This study presents a preliminary demonstration of emotion-regulating closed-loop neurostimulation controlled by a BCI.
• PFC activity can be utilized to control a BCI without requiring a prior predicate task.
• The findings suggest potential for novel BCI-based therapeutic strategies for refractory neurological and mental health disorders.