A neural decoder for learned vocal behavior

Abstract

Brain Machine Interfaces (BMIs) hold promise to restore impaired motor function and, because they decode neural signals to infer behavior, can serve as powerful tools to understand the neural mechanisms of motor control. Yet complex behaviors, such as vocal communication, exceed state-of-the-art decoding technologies which are currently restricted to comparatively simple motor actions. Here we present a BMI for birdsong, that decodes a complex, learned vocal behavior directly from neural activity.