Inner speech in motor cortex and implications for speech neuroprostheses

Speech brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) show promise in restoring communication to people with paralysis, but have also prompted discussions regarding their potential to decode private inner speech. Separately, inner speech may be a way to bypass the current approach of requiring speech BCI users to physically attempt speech, which is fatiguing and can slow communication. Using multi-unit recordings from four participants, we found that inner speech is robustly represented in motor cortex, and that imagined sentences can be decoded in real-time. The representation of inner speech was highly correlated with attempted speech, though we also identified a neural “motor-intent” dimension that differentiates the two. We investigated the possibility of decoding private inner speech and found that some aspects of free-form inner speech could be decoded during sequence recall and counting tasks. Finally, we demonstrate high-fidelity strategies that prevent speech BCIs from unintentionally decodi..., , # Inner speech in motor cortex and implications for speech neuroprostheses

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn1j](10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn1j)

## Description of the data and file structure

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can restore communication to people who have lost the ability to move or speak. In this study, we demonstrated an intracortical BCI that decodes inner speech from neural activity in the motor cortex and translates it to text in real-time, using a recurrent neural network decoding approach. We also demonstrate instances in which inner speech can be decoded during cognitive tasks that naturally elicit the use of inner speech. Further, we demonstrate robust strategies to ensure only inner speech that is intended to be said aloud is decoded. 

This dataset contains all of the neural activity recorded during these experiments, consisting of sentences as well as instructed delay experiments designed to investigate the neural representation of inner speech in the motor cortex ..., Data is anonymized and referenced by a subject code alone (participants T12,T15,T16,T17). Informed consent for data sharing was obtained.

语音脑机接口（BCIs）在为瘫痪群体恢复沟通能力方面展现出可观前景，但同时也引发了关于其具备解码私密内部言语潜力的相关讨论。另一方面，内部言语或许可以绕过当前语音脑机接口要求用户实际尝试发声的方案——该方案不仅会引发疲劳感，还会拖慢沟通效率。本研究通过对4名受试者的多单元神经活动记录进行分析，发现运动皮层中存在稳定的内部言语表征，且想象中的语句可被实时解码。内部言语的神经表征与尝试发声时的神经活动高度相关，但研究同时也识别出了能够区分二者的神经“运动意图”维度。本研究还探究了解码私密内部言语的可行性，发现在序列回忆与计数任务中，自由形式的内部言语的部分特征可被解码。最后，本研究验证了可防止语音脑机接口意外解码的高保真策略……
# 运动皮层中的内部言语及其对语音神经假体的启示
数据集DOI：[10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn1j](10.5061/dryad.gf1vhhn1j)

## 数据与文件结构说明
脑机接口可为丧失运动或言语能力的患者恢复沟通能力。本研究中，我们采用循环神经网络解码方案，实现了从运动皮层神经活动中解码内部言语并实时转化为文本的皮层内脑机接口系统。同时，我们还验证了在自然引发内部言语使用的认知任务中，内部言语同样可被解码。此外，本研究还验证了可靠的控制策略，可确保仅当用户意图将内部言语转化为发声表达时才会被解码。
本数据集包含本次实验中记录的全部神经活动数据，涵盖语句相关实验以及旨在探究运动皮层内部言语神经表征的指令延迟实验……所有数据均已匿名化，仅以受试者编号标识（受试者为T12、T15、T16、T17）。本研究已获得数据共享的知情同意。