Quickest detection for abrupt changes in neuronal ensemble spiking activity using model-based and model-free approaches

Abstract

Many real-time brain-machine interface (BMI) applications require quickest detection of abrupt changes in observed neural signals in an online manner. In the presence of multi-neuronal recordings, we propose both model-based and model-free approaches to detect the change in neuronal ensemble spiking activity. The model-based approach is motivated from state space modeling and recursive Bayesian filtering. The model-free approach is motivated from the CUSUM algorithm that computes the cumulative log-likelihood statistics. In the application of detecting the onset of acute thermal pain signals, we validate these approaches using experimental population spike data recorded from freely behaving rats.