Inserting a Neuropixels probe into awake monkey cortex: two probes, two methods

Tomoyuki Namima; Erin Kempkes; Bob Smith; Lydia Smith; Amy L Orsborn; Anitha Pasupathy

doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.110016

Inserting a Neuropixels probe into awake monkey cortex: two probes, two methods

J Neurosci Methods. 2024 Feb:402:110016. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.110016. Epub 2023 Nov 22.

Authors

Tomoyuki Namima¹, Erin Kempkes², Bob Smith³, Lydia Smith⁴, Amy L Orsborn⁴, Anitha Pasupathy⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Structure and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, and Center for Information and Neural Networks, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
² Department of Biological Structure and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
³ Washington National Primate Research Center Instrumentation Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
⁴ Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
⁵ Department of Biological Structure and Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. Electronic address: pasupat@u.washington.edu.

PMID: 37995854
PMCID: PMC10843751 (available on 2025-02-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.110016

Abstract

Background: Neuropixels probes have revolutionized neurophysiological studies in the rodent, but inserting these probes through the much thicker primate dura remains a challenge.

New methods: Here we describe two methods we have developed for the insertion of two types of Neuropixels probes acutely into the awake macaque monkey cortex. For the fine rodent probe (Neuropixels 1.0, IMEC), which is unable to pierce native primate dura, we developed a dural-eyelet method to insert the probe repeatedly without breakage. For the thicker short NHP probe (Neuropixels NP1010), we developed an artificial dura system to insert the probe.

Results and comparison with existing methods: We have now conducted successful experiments in 3 animals across 7 recording chambers with the procedures described here and have achieved recordings with similar yields over several months in each case.

Conclusion: We hope that our hardware, surgical preparation, methods for insertion and methods for removal of broken probe parts are of value to primate physiologists everywhere.

Keywords: Chronic recording chamber; High-density silicon probe; Multi-contact linear probes; Nonhuman primate neurophysiology.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cerebral Cortex* / physiology
Electrodes, Implanted
Haplorhini
Neurophysiology
Wakefulness*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding