diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/sortingcomponents/motion/tests/test_motion_interpolation.py b/src/spikeinterface/sortingcomponents/motion/tests/test_motion_interpolation.py
index 8542b62524..c97c8324ba 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/sortingcomponents/motion/tests/test_motion_interpolation.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/sortingcomponents/motion/tests/test_motion_interpolation.py
@@ -4,11 +4,8 @@
 import spikeinterface.core as sc
 from spikeinterface.sortingcomponents.motion import Motion
 from spikeinterface.sortingcomponents.motion.motion_interpolation import (
-    InterpolateMotionRecording,
-    correct_motion_on_peaks,
-    interpolate_motion,
-    interpolate_motion_on_traces,
-)
+    InterpolateMotionRecording, correct_motion_on_peaks, interpolate_motion,
+    interpolate_motion_on_traces)
 from spikeinterface.sortingcomponents.tests.common import make_dataset
 
 
@@ -84,26 +81,26 @@ def test_interpolate_motion_on_traces():
 def test_interpolation_simple():
     # a recording where a 1 moves at 1 chan per second. 30 chans 10 frames.
     # there will be 9 chans of drift, so we add 9 chans of padding to the bottom
-    nt = nc0 = 10  # these need to be the same for this test
-    nc1 = nc0 + nc0 - 1
-    traces = np.zeros((nt, nc1), dtype="float32")
-    traces[:, :nc0] = np.eye(nc0)
+    n_samples = num_chans_orig = 10  # these need to be the same for this test
+    num_chans_drifted = num_chans_orig + num_chans_orig - 1
+    traces = np.zeros((n_samples, num_chans_drifted), dtype="float32")
+    traces[:, :num_chans_orig] = np.eye(num_chans_orig)
     rec = sc.NumpyRecording(traces, sampling_frequency=1)
-    rec.set_dummy_probe_from_locations(np.c_[np.zeros(nc1), np.arange(nc1)])
+    rec.set_dummy_probe_from_locations(np.c_[np.zeros(num_chans_drifted), np.arange(num_chans_drifted)])
 
-    true_motion = Motion(np.arange(nt)[:, None], 0.5 + np.arange(nt), np.zeros(1))
+    true_motion = Motion(np.arange(n_samples)[:, None], 0.5 + np.arange(n_samples), np.zeros(1))
     rec_corrected = interpolate_motion(rec, true_motion, spatial_interpolation_method="nearest")
     traces_corrected = rec_corrected.get_traces()
-    assert traces_corrected.shape == (nc0, nc0)
-    assert np.array_equal(traces_corrected[:, 0], np.ones(nt))
-    assert np.array_equal(traces_corrected[:, 1:], np.zeros((nt, nc0 - 1)))
+    assert traces_corrected.shape == (num_chans_orig, num_chans_orig)
+    assert np.array_equal(traces_corrected[:, 0], np.ones(n_samples))
+    assert np.array_equal(traces_corrected[:, 1:], np.zeros((n_samples, num_chans_orig - 1)))
 
     # let's try a new version where we interpolate too slowly
     rec_corrected = interpolate_motion(
         rec, true_motion, spatial_interpolation_method="nearest", num_closest=2, interpolation_time_bin_size_s=2
     )
     traces_corrected = rec_corrected.get_traces()
-    assert traces_corrected.shape == (nc0, nc0)
+    assert traces_corrected.shape == (num_chans_orig, num_chans_orig)
     # what happens with nearest here?
     # well... due to rounding towards the nearest even number, the motion (which at
     # these time bin centers is 0.5, 2.5, 4.5, ...) flips the signal's nearest
@@ -131,8 +128,8 @@ def test_cross_band_interpolation():
     fs_ap = 300.0
     t_start = 10.0
     total_duration = 5.0
-    nt_lfp = int(fs_lfp * total_duration)
-    nt_ap = int(fs_ap * total_duration)
+    num_samples_lfp = int(fs_lfp * total_duration)
+    num_samples_ap = int(fs_ap * total_duration)
     t_switch = 3
 
     # because interpolation uses bin centers logic, there will be a half
@@ -140,18 +137,18 @@ def test_cross_band_interpolation():
     halfbin_ap_lfp = int(0.5 * (fs_ap / fs_lfp))
 
     # channel geometry
-    nc = 10
-    geom = np.c_[np.zeros(nc), np.arange(nc)]
+    num_chans = 10
+    geom = np.c_[np.zeros(num_chans), np.arange(num_chans)]
 
     # make an LFP recording which drifts a bit
-    traces_lfp = np.zeros((nt_lfp, nc))
+    traces_lfp = np.zeros((num_samples_lfp, num_chans))
     traces_lfp[: int(t_switch * fs_lfp), 5] = 1.0
     traces_lfp[int(t_switch * fs_lfp) :, 6] = 1.0
     rec_lfp = sc.NumpyRecording(traces_lfp, sampling_frequency=fs_lfp)
     rec_lfp.set_dummy_probe_from_locations(geom)
 
     # same for AP
-    traces_ap = np.zeros((nt_ap, nc))
+    traces_ap = np.zeros((num_samples_ap, num_chans))
     traces_ap[: int(t_switch * fs_ap) - halfbin_ap_lfp, 5] = 1.0
     traces_ap[int(t_switch * fs_ap) - halfbin_ap_lfp :, 6] = 1.0
     rec_ap = sc.NumpyRecording(traces_ap, sampling_frequency=fs_ap)
@@ -160,8 +157,8 @@ def test_cross_band_interpolation():
     # set times for both, and silence the warning
     with warnings.catch_warnings():
         warnings.simplefilter("ignore", category=UserWarning)
-        rec_lfp.set_times(t_start + np.arange(nt_lfp) / fs_lfp)
-        rec_ap.set_times(t_start + np.arange(nt_ap) / fs_ap)
+        rec_lfp.set_times(t_start + np.arange(num_samples_lfp) / fs_lfp)
+        rec_ap.set_times(t_start + np.arange(num_samples_ap) / fs_ap)
 
     # estimate motion
     motion = estimate_motion(rec_lfp, method="dredge_lfp", rigid=True)
@@ -169,7 +166,7 @@ def test_cross_band_interpolation():
     # nearest to keep it simple
     rec_corrected = interpolate_motion(rec_ap, motion, spatial_interpolation_method="nearest", num_closest=2)
     traces_corrected = rec_corrected.get_traces()
-    target = np.zeros((nt_ap, nc - 2))
+    target = np.zeros((num_samples_ap, num_chans - 2))
     target[:, 4] = 1
     ii, jj = np.nonzero(traces_corrected)
     assert np.array_equal(traces_corrected, target)