Multi-channel electrophysiological neuron recording system

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A major discovery made relatively recently has been that the brain of the macaque monkey has an area that is comparable to Broca's area in the human brain. Broca's area in the human brain is critical for speech production. Thus, a homologue of the brain area that is critical for speech exists in the non-linguistic macaque monkey brain raising major questions about the evolution of language that require examination. This finding also opens up the possibility of studying the neurophysiology of the voluntary vocal and orofacial brain circuit. In previous research, we established the entire neural circuit (i.e. other brain areas linked with Broca's area homologue) in the macaque monkey brain and, therefore, we can now record neuronal activity in these areas during the instruction and production of vocal and orofacial acts. This equipment grant application requests a multichannel electrophysiological recording system to enable us to record simultaneously from multiple areas in the vocal/orofacial production cortical circuit and thus obtain deep insights into the neural mechanisms of voluntary vocal and orofacial motor production.