OP-GLX: A MATLAB toolbox for online processing and plotting of Neuropixels data acquired with SpikeGLX

Online processing and visualization of large-scale neural data is critical for neuroscientific discovery and advancements in neural engineering. However, with the development of technologies like Neuropixels (NP) probes, which enable simultaneous streaming from hundreds of recording electrodes, handling such data in real-time has become an ongoing challenge. Moreover, keeping pace with recording hardware has required most existing software, such as SpikeGLX for NP probes, to prioritize acquisition stability, leaving data processing and visualization to primarily be performed offline. Thus, we created OP-GLX, a MATLAB-based toolbox designed to operate in tandem with SpikeGLX to enhance the fetching, processing, and visualization of incoming neural data. The OP-GLX toolbox features several processing capabilities, including spike detection, computing time-binned firing rates, plotting spike waveforms, and conducting principal component analysis (PCA). The processed neural data is displayed on a native graphical user interface (GUI) for intuitive and customizable interaction with the experiment. The performance testing of OP-GLX showed that it supports real-time operation, confirmed by the absence of SpikeGLX stream buffer fetch errors across multiple acquisition settings. By complementing current neural data acquisition methods and providing stable online functionality, we envision that OP-GLX will enable researchers to visualize and interpret their data more effectively during ongoing neuroscience experiments.