Explore neural decoding principles from a machine learning perspective in this comprehensive computational tutorial using Python. Delve into data preprocessing, model selection, and optimization techniques for decoding neural information from spike trains and local field potentials. Analyze a dataset containing neural information from six cortical areas of the macaque brain, spanning from the frontal to the occipital lobe. Learn about the importance of neural decoding, cross-validation methods, and the pipeline for coding analysis. Gain hands-on experience with open-source packages, machine learning basics, and various classifiers including Linear Support Vector Machines, Extra Trees, and Random Forests. Follow along using Anaconda Python 3.7, Jupiter notebooks, and provided datasets to practice loading data, plotting functions, and defining classifiers. Benefit from the expertise of Omar Costilla Reyes, a postdoctoral researcher at the Miller Lab, MIT, specializing in machine learning methodologies for understanding neural dynamics in cognitive neuroscience. Read more