Generative adversarial neural networks maintain decoder accuracy during signal disruption in simulated long-term recordings from brain computer interfaces

Chronically implanted brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) provide amazing opportunities to those living with disability and for the treatment of chronic disorders of the nervous system. However, this potential has yet to be fully realized in part due to the lack of stability in measured signals over time. Signal disruption stems from multiple sources including mechanical failure of the interface, changes in neuron health, and glial encapsulation of the electrodes that alter the impedance. In this study we present an algorithmic solution to the problem of long-term signal disruption in chronically implanted neural interfaces. Our approach utilizes a generative adversarial network (GAN), based on the original Unsupervised Image to Image Translation (UNIT) algorithm, which learns how to recover degraded signals back to their analogous non-disrupted ("clean") exemplars measured at the time of implant. We demonstrate that this approach can reliably recover simulated signals in two types of commonly used neural interfaces: multi-electrode arrays (MEA), and electrocorticography (ECoG). To test the accuracy of signal recovery we employ a common BCI paradigm wherein a classification algorithm (neural decoder) is trained on the starting (non-disrupted) set of signals. Performance of the decoder demonstrates expected failure over time as the signal disruption accumulates. In simulated MEA experiments, our approach recovers decoder accuracy to >90% when as many as 13/ 32 channels are lost, or as many as 28/32 channels have their neural responses altered. In simulated ECoG experiments, our approach shows stabilization of the neural decoder indefinitely with decoder accuracies >95% over simulated lifetimes of over 1 year. Our results suggest that these types of neural networks can provide a useful tool to improve the long-term utility of chronically implanted neural interfaces.