Endocisternal neural interface in human and sheep fashions. Credit score: Nature Biomedical Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01281-9
A workforce of researchers led by Rice College’s Jacob Robinson and the College of Texas Medical Department’s Peter Kan has developed a way for diagnosing, managing and treating neurological problems with minimal surgical dangers. The workforce’s findings have been revealed in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Whereas conventional approaches for interfacing with the nervous system typically require making a gap within the cranium to interface with the mind, the researchers have developed an progressive technique often known as endocisternal interfaces (ECI), permitting for electrical recording and stimulation of neural constructions, together with the mind and spinal twine, via cerebral spinal fluid (CSF).
“Using ECI, we can access multiple brain and spinal cord structures simultaneously without ever opening up the skull, reducing the risk of complications associated with traditional surgical techniques,” mentioned Robinson, professor {of electrical} and pc engineering and bioengineering.
ECI makes use of CSF, which surrounds the nervous system, as a pathway to ship focused units. By performing a easy lumbar puncture within the decrease again, researchers can navigate a versatile catheter to entry the mind and spinal twine.
Utilizing miniature magnetoelectric-powered bioelectronics, the whole wi-fi system will be deployed via a small percutaneous process. The versatile catheter electrodes will be navigated freely from the spinal subarachnoid house to the mind ventricles.
“This is the first reported technique that enables a neural interface to simultaneously access the brain and spinal cord through a simple and minimally invasive lumbar puncture,” mentioned Kan, professor and the Robert L. Moody Sr. Chair of Neurosurgery at UTMB. “It introduces new possibilities for therapies in stroke rehabilitation, epilepsy monitoring and other neurological applications.”
To check the speculation, the analysis workforce characterised the endocisternal house and measured the width of the subarachnoid, or fluid-filled house, in human sufferers utilizing magnetic resonance imaging. The researchers then carried out experiments in massive animal fashions, particularly sheep, to validate the feasibility of the brand new neural interface.
Their experiments confirmed that the catheter electrodes could possibly be efficiently delivered and guided into the ventricular areas and mind floor for electrical stimulation. By utilizing the magnetoelectric implant, the researchers have been in a position to document electrophysiologic alerts corresponding to muscle activation and spinal twine potentials.
Preliminary security outcomes confirmed that the ECI remained purposeful with minimal harm as much as 30 days after the digital gadget was implanted chronically into the mind.
Furthermore, the examine revealed that not like endovascular neural interfaces that require antithrombotic medicine and are restricted by the small measurement and placement of blood vessels, ECI affords broader entry to neural targets with out the medicine.
“This technology creates a new paradigm for minimally invasive neural interfaces and could lower the risk of implantable neurotechnologies, enabling access to wider patient populations,” mentioned Josh Chen, Rice alumnus and lead creator of the examine.
Extra data:
Joshua C. Chen et al, Endocisternal interfaces for minimally invasive neural stimulation and recording of the mind and spinal twine, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01281-9
Offered by
Rice College
Quotation:
Minimally invasive neural interface permits mind entry with out cranium opening (2024, November 13)
retrieved 14 November 2024
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2024-11-minimally-invasive-neural-interface-brain.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Other than any truthful dealing for the aim of personal examine or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is offered for data functions solely.
