Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which control external equipment using cerebral activity, have received considerable attention recently. Translating brain activities measured by electroencephalography (EEG) into correct control commands is a critical problem in this field. Most existing EEG decoding methods separate feature extraction from classification and thus are not robust across different BCI users. In this paper, we propose to learn subject-specific features jointly with the classification rule. We develop a deep convolutional network (ConvNet) to decode EEG signals end-to-end by stacking time-frequency transformation, spatial filtering, and classification together. Our proposed ConvNet implements a joint space-time-frequency feature extraction scheme for EEG decoding. Morlet wavelet-like kernels used in our network significantly reduce the number of parameters compared with classical convolutional kernels and endow the features learned at the corresponding layer with a clear interpretation, i.e. spectral amplitude. We further utilize subject-to-subject weight transfer, which uses parameters of the networks trained for existing subjects to initialize the network for a new subject, to solve the dilemma between a large number of demanded data for training deep ConvNets and small labeled data collected in BCIs. The proposed approach is evaluated on three public data sets, obtaining superior classification performance compared with the state-of-the-art methods.

To support cognitive function, the CA3 region of the hippocampus performs computations involving attractor dynamics. Understanding how cellular and ensemble activities of CA3 neurons enable computation is critical for elucidating the neural correlates of cognition. Here we show that CA3 comprises not only classically described pyramid cells with thorny excrescences, but also includes previously unidentified ‘athorny’ pyramid cells that lack mossy-fiber input. Moreover, the two neuron types have distinct morphological and physiological phenotypes and are differentially modulated by acetylcholine. To understand the contribution of these athorny pyramid neurons to circuit function, we measured cell-type-specific firing patterns during sharp-wave synchronization events in vivo and recapitulated these dynamics with an attractor network model comprising two principal cell types. Our data and simulations reveal a key role for athorny cell bursting in the initiation of sharp waves: transient network attractor states that signify the execution of pattern completion computations vital to cognitive function.