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Abstract

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): This project is related to NIMH research topic number 115-B-7. It is a proposal to manufacture a multi-neuron recording system capable of simultaneously detecting, amplifying, filtering, digitizing, isolating, and recording over a hundred neurons from the brains of behaving animals. Goals include (1) to provide many channel acquisition at a significantly lower cost than competing systems, (2) to support several microelectrode acquisition methods including tetrodes, (3) to provide advanced tools for behavioral experiments including on-line spike-sorting and experimental design, (4) to offer an open and extensible architecture for researchers to build on, and (5) to provide a complete solution including not only the acquisition system, but also amplifiers, preamplifiers, cable, connectors and headstages. Such a multi-neuron recording system can improve the efficiency of data collection yielding more single-unit neuronal recordings in an experimental session. More importantly, it extends the researcher's capabilities from the level of single cell analysis to that of neural ensembles believed to be the functional units of information processing in cortical areas of the brain. This technology will facilitate the study of representation and communication in neural networks associated with behavior, improving our understanding of biological information processing and thus supporting NIMH's research mission. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This research canbe applied to producing, a data acquisition system for recording from large ensembles of single neurons in behaving animals.

Thesaurus Terms:
biomedical equipment development, brain mapping, computer program /software, computer system design /evaluation, data collection methodology /evaluation, electronic recording system, electrophysiology, microelectrode, neural information processing, neuron, neuropsychology
cell cell interaction, cell population study, cost effectiveness, data management, neural transmission, neuropsychological test
behavioral /social science research tag, bioengineering /biomedical engineering, computer data analysis, video recording system

Institution:	NEURAL ARTS
	1992 COMMONWEALTH AVE, #2
	BOSTON, MA 02135
Fiscal Year:	2002
Department:
Project Start:	15-JAN-1999
Project End:	31-AUG-2004
ICD:	NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
IRG:	ZRG1