Repeatable, low-drift recordings in behaving nonhuman primates using flexible microelectrodes.
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- 2Program in Neuroscience, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- 3Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- 4Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- 5Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- 6Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. [email protected].
- 7Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA. [email protected].
Abstract
Neurophysiological recordings from nonhuman primates rely on rigid microelectrode arrays whose mechanical mismatch with brain tissue causes neuronal drift and unstable single-unit recordings. Here we present a flexible microelectrode platform for repeated recordings in awake rhesus macaques. We fabricated a 32-channel, 7-μm-thick Parylene-C array and developed a telescopic insertion method using concentric guide tubes and a retractable microwire shuttle to repeatedly deliver free-floating arrays through intact dura using standard recording chambers. Across two animals, we optimized the electrode geometry and insertion to achieve an 80% single-unit recording success rate. During an oculomotor delayed response task, we recorded stable task-responsive neurons from prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex. Compared with rigid probes in the same animals and recording chambers, flexible arrays achieved a comparable single-unit yield while reducing drift from hundreds to tens of micrometers. Our work establishes flexible microelectrodes as a practical and high-performing technology for primate neuroscience.
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BibTeX
@article{woods2026repeatable,
title = {{Repeatable, low-drift recordings in behaving nonhuman primates using flexible microelectrodes.}},
author = {Daniel P Woods and Grace M Adams and Rana Mozumder and Wenhao Dang and Andrew Y Chen and Maxime Chevée and Christos Constantinidis and Daniel L Gonzales},
journal = {Nature communications},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-77421-3},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850226},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Repeatable, low-drift recordings in behaving nonhuman primates using flexible microelectrodes.
AU - Daniel P Woods
AU - Grace M Adams
AU - Rana Mozumder
AU - Wenhao Dang
AU - Andrew Y Chen
AU - Maxime Chevée
AU - Christos Constantinidis
AU - Daniel L Gonzales
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/09
JO - Nature communications
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-77421-3
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42850226
AB - Neurophysiological recordings from nonhuman primates rely on rigid microelectrode arrays whose mechanical mismatch with brain tissue causes neuronal drift and unstable single-unit recordings. Here we present a flexible microelectrode platform for repeated recordings in awake rhesus macaques. We fabricated a 32-channel, 7-μm-thick Parylene-C array and developed a telescopic insertion method using concentric guide tubes and a retractable microwire shuttle to repeatedly deliver free-floating arrays through intact dura using standard recording chambers. Across two animals, we optimized the electrode geometry and insertion to achieve an 80% single-unit recording success rate. During an oculomotor delayed response task, we recorded stable task-responsive neurons from prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex. Compared with rigid probes in the same animals and recording chambers, flexible arrays achieved a comparable single-unit yield while reducing drift from hundreds to tens of micrometers. Our work establishes flexible microelectrodes as a practical and high-performing technology for primate neuroscience.
SN - 2041-1723
ER -