Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recording to Identify Target-Selective Neurons

Take a human participant with depth electrodes embedded in the brain's medial temporal lobe, which responds to visual stimuli.

The electrodes contain microwires that record electrical activity from individual neurons.

Position a display connected to an eye-tracking system in front of the participant. The system tracks eye movements in response to visual stimuli.

Present a target object to the participant, followed by a search array containing multiple objects, including the target. Instruct the participant to identify the target in the array and confirm detection by pressing a button on a response box.

Upon detection, target-selective neurons in the brain modify the rate of firing electrical signals, called action potentials, to transmit visual information.

The electrode microwires record these signals extracellularly.

Correlate the timing of target detection, obtained from button press and eye-tracking data, with the timing of the change in the firing rate to assess the presence of target-selective neurons.