Auditory cues reveal intended movement information in middle frontal gyrus neuronal ensemble activity of a person with tetraplegia

Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) allow people with paralysis to directly control assistive devices using neural activity associated with the intent to move. Realizing the full potential of iBCIs critically depends on continued progress in understanding how different cortical areas contribute to movement control. Here we present the first comparison between neuronal ensemble recordings from the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and precentral gyrus (PCG) of a person with tetraplegia using an iBCI. As expected, PCG was more engaged in selecting and generating intended movements than in earlier perceptual stages of action planning. By contrast, MFG displayed movement-related information during the sensorimotor processing steps preceding the appearance of the action plan in PCG, but only when the actions were instructed using auditory cues. These results describe a previously unreported function for neurons in the human left MFG in auditory processing contributing to motor control.

Automated summary

The study compares neuronal ensemble recordings from the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and precentral gyrus (PCG) of a tetraplegic individual using an iBCI. It found that PCG is more involved in choosing and executing intended movements, while MFG contributes to sensorimotor processing steps prior to the action plan in PCG, especially when actions are instructed using auditory cues. This highlights a novel function of neurons in the human left MFG in auditory processing for motor control.