Learned Motor Patterns Are Replayed in Human Motor Cortex during Sleep

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2074-21.2022
• Publication Date: 2022-05-23T16:23:04Z
• Authors: Daniel B. Rubin; Tommy Hosman; Jessica N. Kelemen; Anastasia Kapitonava; Francis R. Willett; Brian F. Coughlin; Eric Halgren; Eyal Y. Kimchi; Ziv M. Williams; John D. Simeral; Leigh R. Hochberg; Sydney S. Cash
• Keywords: Precentral gyrus; Tetraplegia

Consolidation of memory is believed to involve offline replay neural activity. While amply demonstrated in rodents, evidence for humans, particularly regarding motor memory, less compelling. To determine whether occurs after learning, we sought record from cortex during a novel task and subsequent overnight sleep. A 36-year-old man with tetraplegia secondary cervical spinal cord injury enrolled the ongoing BrainGate brain–computer interface pilot clinical trial had two 96-channel intracortical microelectrode arrays placed chronically into left precentral gyrus. Single- multi-unit activity was recorded while he played color/sound sequence matching game. Intended movements were decoded cortical neuronal by real-time steady-state Kalman filter that allowed participant control neurally driven cursor on screen. Intracortical gyrus 2-lead scalp EEG as slept. When using same parameters, signals replayed target game at intervals throughout frequency significantly greater than expected chance. Replay events occurred speeds ranging 1 4 times fast initial execution most frequently observed slow-wave These results demonstrate recent visuomotor skill acquisition humans may be accompanied corresponding <b>SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT</b> Within cortex, information often followed recapitulation specific sequences firing. enriched sleep support consolidation learning memory. Using an interface, human research performed task. By decoding sleep, find underlying recently practiced are repeated night, providing direct This approach, optimized decoder characterize provides framework future studies exploring replay,