Monitor Neural Activity

Electrocortical stimulation (ECS) has been used for functional mapping for many decades to identify brain areas that are “critical” for speech and language (i.e., that impair function when stimulated) prior to epilepsy or tumor surgery. It also is used to modulate neural activity, e.g., in directly treating epilepsy or pain. However, despite its long history of clinical use, the precise mechanisms of ECS are poorly understood, both on neuronal and network scales.

SUMMARY The "NexGen" 7 Tesla MRI scanner at UC Berkeley is a unique resource that we wish to make available for neuroscience collaborations across the globe. It was specifically designed for extremely high resolution structural and functional neuroimaging at the scale of cortical laminae and columnar neurocircuit organization ("meso-scale"). To achieve this, the NexGen scanner builds upon existing standard 7T scanners and integrates a number of technological advances, creating synergistic improvements and gains in speed, resolution and signal.

HNN U24 DISSEMINATION PROJECT SUMMARY The Human Neocortical Neurosolver (HNN) neural modeling tool was developed with BRAIN Initiative funding (R01EB022889: 09/2016–06/2020) to meet the Initiative’s goal to “develop innovative technologies to understand brain circuits and ensembles of circuits that infor

Project Summary. We propose a new coil array that will enable next-generation causal brain mapping with unprecedented flexibility, resolution and precision. The proposed ARES2 hybrid array generates E-fields in the cortex for transcranial mag- netic stimulation (TMS) as well as B-fields for spatial and diffusion encoding applications including high-resolu- tion, high b-value diffusion MRI and fMRI.

Project Summary / Abstract Although BRAIN 2.0 called for the BRAIN Initiative to “prioritize diversity and inclusion as a fundamental pillar,” research with the human neuroimaging technologies being developed by BRAIN Initiative continues to rely on non-representative convenience samples.

Optical monitoring of brain activities is intrinsically associated with various operational advantages, including low-cost and portable noninvasive bedside continuous monitoring capabilities. While the preva- lent optical brain monitoring methods are based on measuring blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals from blood absorption, optical methods measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF) from the decor- relation of coherent light when scattered by the blood flow may provide a promising alternative. CBF measurement has higher sensitivity to the brain and is complementary to BOLD signals.

Summary Imbalanced levels of neuromodulators and other chemical signals contribute to a host of neurological disorders. Yet, previous studies describing these effects often examine only one molecule at a time, and typically provide a static description of signal levels in the brain or in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that bathes all neurons. In reality, dozens of signals exhibit dynamic changes across states such as quiet waking and social or non-social arousal, which are altered in disease.

Project Summary Retinal degenerative diseases are the leading cause of irreversible vision loss. There is no approved medical intervention that could cure or reverse the courses of retinal degenerative diseases. Retina prosthesis are implantable devices designed to stimulate sensation of vision in the eyes of individuals with these significant conditions. Yet, due to the current spreading, resolution and pixel density are limited in the existing electrical based devices.

Abstract The goal of this project is to develop a novel bifocal catadioptric objective that will allow large-scale recording of neural circuits in vivo. The objective will enable faster volumetric imaging of large brain regions by simultaneous two-photon (2P) imaging of shallow layers and three-photon (3P) imaging of deep layers of brain tissues with improved collection efficiency.

PROJECT SUMMARY Within every brain region, neurons can be classified into dozens or hundreds of different cell types, each with unique functional roles and unique impacts on disease states. Traditionally, in vivo electrophysiological recordings—which have made invaluable contributions to our understanding of the neural basis of behavior— have not been able to distinguish the activity of genetically defined cell types.