Classifying Cortical Areas and Neurons Involved in Proprioception
Session Number
Q27
Advisor(s)
Sliman Bensmaia, University of Chicago James Goodman, University of Chicago
Location
B-133
Start Date
28-4-2016 1:10 PM
End Date
28-4-2016 1:35 PM
Abstract
Proprioception is the body's ability to know the relative position of its parts in space and the force applied to them. The set of receptors in the body that provide proprioceptive information are well-understood. However, the specific computations that are performed by proprioceptive cortex are still unclear. Moreover, a clear functional distinction between motor and proprioceptive neurons in cortex has also proven surprisingly elusive. I analyzed neural data collected from electrodes in primary somatosensory and motor cortex during hand grasping behavior. I visualized this data using MATLAB to determine the time course of action potentials aligned to the moment at which hand movement started. Preliminary results suggest that the timing of spiking activity is indeed different between motor and proprioceptive sensory cortex. This information can inform improvements to the design of cortically controlled prostheses for controlling robotic limbs, which have yet to successfully implement sensory feedback vital for fluid movement.
Classifying Cortical Areas and Neurons Involved in Proprioception
B-133
Proprioception is the body's ability to know the relative position of its parts in space and the force applied to them. The set of receptors in the body that provide proprioceptive information are well-understood. However, the specific computations that are performed by proprioceptive cortex are still unclear. Moreover, a clear functional distinction between motor and proprioceptive neurons in cortex has also proven surprisingly elusive. I analyzed neural data collected from electrodes in primary somatosensory and motor cortex during hand grasping behavior. I visualized this data using MATLAB to determine the time course of action potentials aligned to the moment at which hand movement started. Preliminary results suggest that the timing of spiking activity is indeed different between motor and proprioceptive sensory cortex. This information can inform improvements to the design of cortically controlled prostheses for controlling robotic limbs, which have yet to successfully implement sensory feedback vital for fluid movement.