Neural Population Perspectives on Learning and Motor Control
Schedule
Friday, October 9, 2020
13:50 UTC
Aaron Batista
Prof
University of Pittsburgh
Host: SWC Symposium
Recording
Open recording
Event Information
Recording
Available
Host
SWC Symposium
Duration
70 minutes
Abstract
Learning is a population phenomenon. Since it is the organized activity of populations of neurons that cause movement, learning a new skill must involve reshaping those population activity patterns. Seeing how the brain does this has been elusive, but a brain-computer interface approach can yield new insight. We presented monkeys with novel BCI mappings that we knew would be difficult for them to learn how to control. Over several days, we observed the emergence of new patterns of neural activity that endowed the animals with the ability to perform better at the BCI task. We speculate that there also exists a direct relationship between new patterns of neural activity and new abilities during natural movements, but it is much harder to see in that setting.
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