A Large-Scale Interface for Optogenetic Stimulation and Recording in Nonhuman Primates

While optogenetics offers great potential for linking brain function and behavior in nonhuman primates, taking full advantage of that potential will require stable access for optical stimulation and concurrent monitoring of neural activity. Here we present a practical, stable interface for stimulation and recording of large-scale cortical circuits. To obtain optogenetic expression across a broad region, here spanning primary somatosensory (S1) and motor (M1) cortices, we used convection-enhanced delivery of the viral vector, with online guidance from MRI. To record neural activity across this region, we used a custom micro-electrocorticographic (μECoG) array designed to minimally attenuate optical stimuli. Lastly, we demonstrated the use of this interface to measure spatiotemporal responses to optical stimulation across M1 and S1. This interface offers a powerful tool for studying circuit dynamics and connectivity across cortical areas, for long-term studies of neuromodulation and targeted cortical plasticity, and for linking these to behavior. •Introducing an interface for stable optogenetic stimulation and recording in NHP•Convection-enhanced viral infusion yields expression across a large cortical area•μECoG array obtains large-scale recordings with minimum optical attenuation•Demonstration of spatiotemporal responses across cortical areas to optical stimuli Optogenetics provides powerful capabilities for linking circuit function to the sophisticated behaviors that are commonly studied in nonhuman primates (NHPs). Yazdan-Shahmorad et al. introduce a novel optogenetic interface for NHPs that enables stable, large-scale stimulation and recording across cortical areas.