Reinforcement of Neuropixels probes for high-density neural recording in non-human primates

Abstract

The improvements of electrode techniques in recent years make it possible to record hundreds of neurons simultaneously. Neuropixels probe as a type of high-density linear silicon probe, is widely used in rodents' studies to record brain-wide neural activity. However, in vivo electrophysiological recording in non-human primates (NHPs) faces different challenges than in small animals. The challenges faced by the Neuropixels probe of NHPs' recording are addressed in this paper. With targeted improvements, the probe's structure was enhanced to make it more suitable for the acute recording in NHPs. The reinforced probe's shank shows strong stability during different mechanical insertion testing. Furthermore, the recordings were tested on the macaque using standard acute recording procedures which made it possible to densely record hundreds of neurons of different cortical layers in behaving NHPs.