A neural basis of choking under pressure.

Incentives tend to drive improvements in performance. But when incentives get too high, we can "choke under pressure" and underperform right when it matters most. What neural processes might lead to choking under pressure? We studied rhesus monkeys performing a challenging reaching task in which they underperformed when an unusually large "jackpot" reward was at stake, and we sought a neural mechanism that might result in that underperformance.

A neural basis of choking under pressure.

Unlabelled: Incentives tend to drive improvements in performance. But when incentives get too high, we can "choke under pressure" and underperform when it matters most. What neural processes might lead to choking under pressure? We studied Rhesus monkeys performing a challenging reaching task in which they underperform when an unusually large "jackpot" reward is at stake.

Theoretical principles for illuminating sensorimotor processing with brain-wide neuronal recordings.

Modern recording techniques now permit brain-wide sensorimotor circuits to be observed at single neuron resolution in small animals. Extracting theoretical understanding from these recordings requires principles that organize findings and guide future experiments. Here we review theoretical principles that shed light onto brain-wide sensorimotor processing.

Stabilization of a brain-computer interface via the alignment of low-dimensional spaces of neural activity.

The instability of neural recordings can render clinical brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) uncontrollable. Here, we show that the alignment of low-dimensional neural manifolds (low-dimensional spaces that describe specific correlation patterns between neurons) can be used to stabilize neural activity, thereby maintaining BCI performance in the presence of recording instabilities. We evaluated the stabilizer with non-human primates during online cursor control via intracortical BCIs in the presence of severe and abrupt recording instabilities.

mTor signaling is required for the formation of proliferating Müller glia-derived progenitor cells in the chick retina.

We investigate the roles of mTor signaling in the formation of Müller glia-derived progenitor cells (MGPCs) in the chick retina. During embryonic development, pS6 (a readout of active mTor signaling) is present in early-stage retinal progenitors, differentiating amacrine and ganglion cells, and late-stage progenitors or maturing Müller glia. By contrast, pS6 is present at low levels in a few scattered cell types in mature, healthy retina.

Self-recalibrating classifiers for intracortical brain-computer interfaces.

Objective: Intracortical brain-computer interface (BCI) decoders are typically retrained daily to maintain stable performance. Self-recalibrating decoders aim to remove the burden this may present in the clinic by training themselves autonomously during normal use but have only been developed for continuous control. Here we address the problem for discrete decoding (classifiers).

(18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging of metastatic atypical fibroxanthoma.

We report the F-FDG PET/CT appearance of a metastatic biopsy-proven malignant fibroxanthoma of the ankle. A 41-year-old female patient with a history of scleroderma presented with a fungating mass in the left ankle. Shave biopsy of the overlying skin showed atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX).

Real-time decision fusion for multimodal neural prosthetic devices.

Background: The field of neural prosthetics aims to develop prosthetic limbs with a brain-computer interface (BCI) through which neural activity is decoded into movements. A natural extension of current research is the incorporation of neural activity from multiple modalities to more accurately estimate the user's intent. The challenge remains how to appropriately combine this information in real-time for a neural prosthetic device.

Multi-scale recordings for neuroprosthetic control of finger movements.

We trained a rhesus monkey to perform individuated and combined finger flexions and extensions of the thumb, index, and middle finger. A Utah Electrode Array (UEA) was implanted into the hand region of the motor cortex contralateral to the monkey's trained hand. We also implanted a microwire electrocorticography grid (microECoG) epidurally so that it covered the UEA.

The use of a virtual integration environment for the real-time implementation of neural decode algorithms.

We have developed a virtual integration environment (VIE) for the development of neural prosthetic systems. This paper, the second of two companion articles, describes the use of the VIE as a common platform for the implementation of neural decode algorithms. In this paper, a linear filter decode and a recursive Bayesian algorithm are implemented as separate signal analysis modules of the VIE for the real-time decode of end effector trajectory.

A real-time virtual integration environment for the design and development of neural prosthetic systems.

We have developed a virtual integration environment (VIE) for the development of neural prosthetic systems. The VIE is a software environment that modularizes the core functions of a neural prosthetic system--receiving signals, decoding signals and controlling a real or simulated device. Complete prosthetic systems can be quickly assembled by linking pre-existing modules together through standard interfaces.

The genomic revolution: what does it mean for human and ecological risk assessment?

The first sequencing of a complete organism genome occurred in 1995. Since then there has been an explosion of information, with a new organism being sequenced nearly every week. This rapid development of genomics is providing unparalleled opportunities in toxicology, ecology, and risk assessment.