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Main Authors: Zhao, Hao, Zhang, Xinhe, Marin-Llobet, Arnau, Lin, Xinyi, Liu, Jia
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13451
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author Zhao, Hao
Zhang, Xinhe
Marin-Llobet, Arnau
Lin, Xinyi
Liu, Jia
author_facet Zhao, Hao
Zhang, Xinhe
Marin-Llobet, Arnau
Lin, Xinyi
Liu, Jia
contents Estimating neuron location from extracellular recordings is essential for developing advanced brain-machine interfaces. Accurate neuron localization improves spike sorting, which involves detecting action potentials and assigning them to individual neurons. It also helps monitor probe drift, which affects long-term probe reliability. Although several localization algorithms are currently in use, the field is nascent and arguments for using one algorithm over another are largely theoretical or based on visual analysis of clustering results. We present a first-of-its-kind benchmarking of commonly used neuron localization algorithms. We tested these algorithms using two ground truth datasets: a biophysically realistic simulated dataset, and experimental data combining patch-clamp and Neuropixels probes. We systematically evaluate the accuracy, robustness, and runtime of these algorithms in ideal conditions and long-term recording conditions with electrode decay. Our findings highlight significant performance differences; while more complex and physically realistic models perform better in ideal situations, simple heuristics demonstrate superior robustness to noise and electrode degradation in experimental datasets, making them more suitable for long-term neural recordings. This work provides a framework for assessing localization algorithms and developing robust, biologically grounded algorithms to advance the development of brain-machine interfaces.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_13451
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Benchmarking spike source localization algorithms in high density probes
Zhao, Hao
Zhang, Xinhe
Marin-Llobet, Arnau
Lin, Xinyi
Liu, Jia
Neurons and Cognition
Estimating neuron location from extracellular recordings is essential for developing advanced brain-machine interfaces. Accurate neuron localization improves spike sorting, which involves detecting action potentials and assigning them to individual neurons. It also helps monitor probe drift, which affects long-term probe reliability. Although several localization algorithms are currently in use, the field is nascent and arguments for using one algorithm over another are largely theoretical or based on visual analysis of clustering results. We present a first-of-its-kind benchmarking of commonly used neuron localization algorithms. We tested these algorithms using two ground truth datasets: a biophysically realistic simulated dataset, and experimental data combining patch-clamp and Neuropixels probes. We systematically evaluate the accuracy, robustness, and runtime of these algorithms in ideal conditions and long-term recording conditions with electrode decay. Our findings highlight significant performance differences; while more complex and physically realistic models perform better in ideal situations, simple heuristics demonstrate superior robustness to noise and electrode degradation in experimental datasets, making them more suitable for long-term neural recordings. This work provides a framework for assessing localization algorithms and developing robust, biologically grounded algorithms to advance the development of brain-machine interfaces.
title Benchmarking spike source localization algorithms in high density probes
topic Neurons and Cognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.13451