13/06/204 Seminar by Dr. Blaise YVERT

Neurotech Seminar, Thursday June 13, 12h-14h, Salle Vinay, First floor, INT 

Dr. Blaise YVERT (NeuroTech Lab, Grenoble Institut Neurosciences, Univ Grenoble Alpes)  

Cortical dynamics underlying vocal and speech production: implications for rehabilitation

Neurotechnologies propose rehabilitation solutions in case of severe paralysis with neural prostheses and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). In particular, for people who have lost the ability to speak, speech BCIs aim to enable the control of speech synthesizers directly from cortical activity collected with brain implants. In this perspective, understanding how speech is encoded at cortical level, and methods to decode cortical signals into speech are at stake. 

In this presentation, I will present recent results highlighting intracortical ensemble dynamics within Pars Triangularis of Broca’s area, a key region of speech production. I will also show preliminary decoding results of speech from less invasive surface electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals, showing, in line with the current literature, that such approach is relevant for developing fully implantable chronic speech BCI solutions. Finally, because the investigation of the fine dynamics of cortical speech networks is limited in humans due to typical clinical constraints, I will present a new preclinical minipig model of vocal production that enables the exploration of detailed cortical activity in freely moving and interacting animals.