Connectionists: Essex BCI-NE Webinar 4 December: Dr Martin Seeber

[Matran-Fernandez, Ana]

[cid:image001.png at 01DB40B4.637B7D90]
https://www.linkedin.com/company/essex-bcine-lab/

The Essex BCI-NE Lab invites you to join our next monthly webinar:
Human intracranial dynamics of real-world and imagined navigation
Delivered by
Dr Martin Seeber
(UCLA)

The webinar will take place over Zoom on Wednesday, 4th December 2024, at 4pm UK time
RSVP: https://www.linkedin.com/events/essexbci-newebinarspresentsdrma7267475161174401025/about/

Abstract: Recollecting past events is crucial for understanding episodic memory and anticipating future behaviors. Previous research in freely-moving rodents proposed a central role of the medial temporal lobe’s (MTL) involvement in spatial navigation and memory formation. Here, we study whether real-world and imagined navigation elicits functional similarities in the human MTL.
Taking advantage of recent neurotechnological developments, we examined intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) recorded from five freely-moving humans. Participants learned to navigate two routes in an indoor room (14.6 × 13.5 m2) equipped with motion capture. After each real-world walk, participants walked on a treadmill while imagining walking these routes in their minds. Transient theta oscillations were evident in each participant at spectral peaks in the 4-9 Hz frequency range. These short-lasting theta bouts frequently occurred prior to upcoming turns and consistently occurred across trials. During imagined navigation, we found theta bouts at specific time points resembling the routes’ geometry, similar to the real-world dynamics.
We subsequently used these theta dynamics as priors to analyze scalp EEG components related to the intracranial data. EEG source imaging revealed component generators at the actual implantation sites and in remote areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, functionally linked to medial temporal lobe dynamics. These findings open up novel possibilities for studying human MTL interactions with cortical areas in freely behaving and imagining humans. Altogether, our results open novel avenues for studying real-world spatial navigation, episodic memory, and imaginable future behaviors.

Speaker Biography: Martin obtained his PhD at Graz University of Technology, studying neural correlates of self-movement, especially gait. Afterward, he joined the basic neuroscience department at Campus Biotech in Geneva, Switzerland, to investigate intrinsic, spontaneous brain dynamics by combining intracranial and scalp electroencephalography. At UCLA, he aims to better understand neural dynamics related to movement trajectories and the formation of episodic knowledge with the aid of intracranial EEG and full-body motion capture.
Profile on Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=NFI7NlgAAAAJ

The Essex BCI-NE Lab webinars series takes place on the first or second Wednesday of the month over Zoom and are open to all. Speakers are invited to talk about their research for 45-50 minutes followed by a Q&A session/discussion.
Where speakers allow it, we record the talks and make them available to everyone on our YouTube channel. You can watch previous talks at: https://www.youtube.com/@essexbcis

Next speakers:

  *   Jon Wolpaw (January 2025) - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Vw31HP8AAAAJ
  *   Guilherme Maia de Oliveira Wood (February 2025) - https://homepage.uni-graz.at/en/guilherme.wood/
  *   Selina Wriessnegger (March 2025) - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Y_B7AnAAAAAJ

If you don’t want to miss our next webinars, please email amatra at essex.ac.uk<mailto:amatra at essex.ac.uk> to ask to be added to our webinars mailing list.

Best wishes,
Ana
------------------------
Dr Ana Matran-Fernandez PhD
Lecturer in Neural Engineering and Artificial Intelligence
Department of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (CSEE)
University of Essex
Office: 5B.539
E amatra at essex.ac.uk<mailto:amatra at essex.ac.uk>

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