Wireless optical imaging, optogenetic stimulation and neurophysiological recording to study to neural foundations of natural freely moving behaviors in primates.

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PROJECT SUMMARY Decades of studies in animals have been conducted in conditions of strict experimental control of perception and behavior in order to understand the functions of the brain. For instance, in the study of visual perception visual paradigms often involve unnaturally long eye fixation periods and attention to locations away from the center of gaze (covert attention). These animal paradigms require long training periods (months to a year). While such studies have advanced our knowledge of brain function tremendously, a recurring question is how relevant the gathered data are to natural behavior. Today, the availability of cutting-edge technologies and computational power can free us from these limitations of the classical experimental paradigms and usher in a new generation of neuroscience questions focused on how the functioning of the brain in real world settings. The goal of this project is to develop a small wireless multimodal device for stimulating and recording domain- based cortical activity in freely moving primates. We will study the function of primary visual cortical areas with intrinsic optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation using a multimodal device that consists of a wireless camera and a wireless multisite LED stimulator. To evaluate the functionality of this approach, animals will perform visual detection and discrimination tasks. The end goal is the production of a multimodal device, constructed from off the shelf components, that provides unrestrained, multiareal and targeted (to specified cortical domains) stimulation and recording capabilities. The successful outcome of this project will contribute to our understanding of cortical encoding of perception and behavior and will have clinical relevance for the development of brain-machine interfaces.