A machine-learning algorithm correctly classifies cortical evoked potentials from both visual stimulation and electrical stimulation of the optic nerve
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Abstract
Abstract Objective . Optic nerve’s intraneural stimulation is an emerging neuroprosthetic approach to provide artificial vision to totally blind patients. An open question is the possibility to evoke individual non-overlapping phosphenes via selective intraneural optic nerve stimulation. To begin answering this question, first, we aim at showing in preclinical experiments with animals that each intraneural electrode could evoke a distinguishable activity pattern in the primary visual cortex. Approach . We performed both patterned visual stimulation and patterned electrical stimulation in healthy rabbits while recording evoked cortical activity with an electrocorticogram array in the primary visual cortex. Electrical stimulation was delivered to the optic nerve with the intraneural array OpticSELINE. We used a support vector machine algorithm paired to a linear regression model to classify cortical responses originating from visual stimuli located in different portions of the visual field and electrical stimuli from the different electrodes of the OpticSELINE. Main results . Cortical activity induced by visual and electrical stimulation could be classified with nearly 100% accuracy relative to the specific location in the visual field or electrode in the array from which it originated. For visual stimulation, the accuracy increased with the separation of the stimuli and reached 100% for separation higher than 7°. For electrical stimulation, at low current amplitudes, the accuracy increased with the distance between electrodes, while at higher current amplitudes, the accuracy was nearly 100% already for the shortest separation. Significance . Optic nerve’s intraneural stimulation with the OpticSELINE induced discernible cortical activity patterns. These results represent a necessary condition for an optic nerve prosthesis to deliver vision with non-overlapping phosphene. However, clinical investigations will be required to assess the translation of these results into perceptual phenomena.
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Results in rabbits showed that the selective activation of different portions of the optic nerve induced spatially organised cortical activation patterns in the rabbit's V1.
“Results in rabbits showed that the selective activation of different portions of the optic nerve induced spatially organised cortical activation patterns in the rabbit's V1 [63,74,75].”
From Advances in visual prostheses: engineering and biological challenges (2022) · cites this paper as [63]
Selective activation of a few optic nerve fibres by each electrode was still an open challenge.
“However, the selective activation of a few optic nerve fibres by each electrode was still an open challenge.”
From Three-dimensional multilayer concentric bipolar electrodes restrict spatial activation in optic nerve stimulation (2022) · cites this paper as [19]
The OpticSELINE intraneural electrode array was recently proposed for artificial vision via optic nerve electrical stimulation.
“Our research group recently proposed a new intraneural electrode array (OpticSELINE) for artificial vision via optic nerve electrical stimulation [18, 19].”
From Three-dimensional multilayer concentric bipolar electrodes restrict spatial activation in optic nerve stimulation (2022) · cites this paper as [19]
Animal experiments were performed according to authorisation GE519 approved by the Département de l'Emploi, des Affaires Sociales et de la Santé, Direction Générale de la Santé of the Republique et Canton de Genève (Switzerland).
“Animal experiments were performed according to the authorisation GE519 approved by the Département de l'Emploi, des Affaires Sociales et de la Santé, Direction Générale de la Santé of the Republique et Canton de Genève (Switzerland), as previously described [19].”
From Three-dimensional multilayer concentric bipolar electrodes restrict spatial activation in optic nerve stimulation (2022) · cites this paper as [19]
Punctual features appeared to be not informative enough for prediction models.
“we already showed that punctual features appeared to be not informative enough for prediction models [19].”
From Three-dimensional multilayer concentric bipolar electrodes restrict spatial activation in optic nerve stimulation (2022) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- Gaillet, V., Borda, E., Zollinger, E. G., & Ghezzi, D.
- Affiliations
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Ghezzi, Diego
- ORCID
- Ghezzi, Diego
- Venue
- Journal of Neural Engineering
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Published
- 2021-04-26
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 046031
- ISSN
- 1741-2552 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-2560
- OpenAlex
- W3144446668
- Cited by
- 10
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5
- FWCI
- 0.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neural Engineering (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (200021_182670)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Keywords
- primary visual cortex, cortical evoked potentials, phosphenes, visual stimulation, electrical stimulation, electrocorticography, support vector machine classification, blind patients, rabbits
- MeSH terms
- Machine Learning, Algorithms, Animals, Electric Stimulation, Electrodes, Implanted, Evoked Potentials, Evoked Potentials, Visual, Humans, Optic Nerve, Photic Stimulation, Rabbits
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