256-channel Digital Neural Signal Processor Real-Time Data Acquisition System

Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: Understanding the human brain’s astounding functions and profoundly disabling dysfunctions, from the level of the single cell to the span of the entire cerebrum, is the primary focus of 21st-century neuroscience. Historically, revealing the complex mechanisms underlying the function, and dysfunction, of the brain has relied primarily on non-human animal models. Advances in materials science, computational analytics, surgical approaches, and neurophysiology now enable recordings from hundreds to thousands of contacts in the human brain for research purposes. Furthermore, in the last 15 years, specialized microelectrode recording systems to record from the human brain as well as modulate its activity have been increasingly used in clinical settings. Unfortunately, the equipment to acquire and faithfully record this rare and precious data is costly and requires considerable technical expertise to maintain and operate. These hurdles can be mitigated by the fact that multiple laboratories can share such equipment to pursue highly significant essential neuroscientific questions in parallel. Team members on this application have used human intracranial recordings to make discoveries in many areas of neuroscience. Leaders in the field of human neurophysiology, the groups represented by this extensive list of studies have worked collaboratively for years as well as carried out independent parallel studies on human brain function. However, current systems used by these groups are becoming obsolete and lack the capability of recording from the latest high-count electrodes. These devices and the next generation recording system represents the next step in answering key human neuroscientific questions regarding cognition, language, anesthesia, sleep, seizure activity, neuromodulation, and tumor infiltration. Acquiring the latest, cutting-edge recording and stimulation system for high channel count intracranial recordings capable of single brain cell human recordings will allow a local consortium of highly productive human neuroscientific users to expand the reach of this group’s basic and translational scientific efforts. This team approach, centered on extraordinary human neurophysiological recording equipment that is shared across multiple research projects, is critical for accelerating novel therapies for a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric challenges.