Brain–computer interface for simultaneous dual-region spatial coding in hippocampal and somatosensory cortex of freely behaving rats

Abstract

Decoding of spatial information from place cells is currently limited to individual brain regions, severely constraining the understanding of the brain's spatial navigation mechanisms. In this study, synchronized detection of dual-brain region spatial encoding was conducted using brain–computer interface (BCI). Therefore, an implantable microelectrode array (MEA) was developed tailored for the simultaneous detection of neuronal activities in the CA1 of the hippocampus and the Barrel Cortex (BC) of the somatosensory cortex in rats as BCI. The MEA was improved by modifying the nanocomposite PtNP/PEDOT:PSS to improve their electrical properties (reducing impedance from 1.82 ± 0.17 MΩ to 3.4 ± 0.3 kΩ), facilitating neural recordings in freely behaving rats. The neural activities were obtained from the CA1 and the BC simultaneously and validated the existence of place cells in both brain regions. This study highlighted the potential of PtNP/PEDOT:PSS-modified MEA as BCI in concurrently detecting neural activity associated with spatial encoding in two brain regions, offering novel perspectives on the processing of tactile stimuli and the formation of cognitive maps for navigation.