Real-time prediction of hand trajectory by ensembles of cortical neurons in primates

Signals derived from the rat motor cortex can be used for controlling one-d imensional movements of a robot arm(1). It remains unknown, however, whethe r real-time processing of cortical signals can be employed to reproduce, in a robotic device, the kind of complex arm movements used by primates to re ach objects in space. Here we recorded the simultaneous activity of large p opulations of neurons, distributed in the premotor, primary motor and poste rior parietal cortical areas, as non-human primates performed two distinct motor tasks. Accurate real-time predictions of one- and three-dimensional a rm movement trajectories were obtained by applying both linear and nonlinea r algorithms to cortical neuronal ensemble activity recorded from each anim al. In addition, cortically derived signals were successfully used for real -time control of robotic devices, both locally and through the Internet. Th ese results suggest that long-term control of complex prosthetic robot arm movements can be achieved by simple real-time transformations of neuronal p opulation signals derived from multiple cortical areas in primates.