Decoding movement intent from human premotor cortex neurons for neural prosthetic applications

Primary motor cortex (M1), a key region for voluntary motor control, has been considered a first choice as the source of neural signals to control prosthetic devices for humans with paralysis. Less is known about the potential for other areas of frontal cortex as prosthesis signal sources. The frontal cortex is widely engaged in voluntary behavior. Single-neuron recordings in monkey frontal cortex beyond M1 have readily identified activity related to planning and initiating movement direction, remembering movement instructions over delays, or mixtures of these features. Human functional imaging and lesion studies also support this role. Intraoperative mapping during deep brain stimulator placement in humans provides a unique opportunity to evaluate potential prosthesis control signals derived from nonprimary areas and to expand our understanding of frontal lobe function and its role in movement disorders. This study shows that recordings from small groups of human prefrontal/premotor cortex neurons can provide information about movement planning, production, and decision-making sufficient to decode the planned direction of movement. Thus, additional frontal areas, beyond M1, may be valuable signal sources for human neuromotor prostheses.