Division of Biomedical Physics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Radiological Devices, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA; Departments of Neurosurgery and Physiology & Biophysics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
Division of Biomedical Physics, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Radiological Devices, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Multiphoton Imaging Core Facility, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Biomaterials. 2020 Apr;238:119831. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119831. Epub 2020 Jan 31.
Implanted microelectrode arrays sense local neuronal activity, signals which are used as control commands for brain computer interface (BCI) technology. Patients with tetraplegia have used BCI technology to achieve an extraordinary degree of interaction with their local environment. However, current microelectrode arrays for BCIs lose the ability to record high-quality neural signals in the months-to-years following implantation. Very little is known regarding the dynamic response of neurons and vasculature in the months following electrode array implantation, but loss of structural integrity near the electrode may contribute to the degradation of recording signals. Here, we use in-vivo dual-modality imaging to characterize neuronal and vasculature structures in the same animal for 3 months following electrode insertion. We find ongoing neuronal atrophy, but relative vascular stability, in close proximity to the electrode, along with evidence suggesting links between rare, abrupt hypoxic events and neuronal process atrophy.
植入式微电极阵列可以感知局部神经元活动，这些信号被用作脑机接口 (BCI) 技术的控制命令。四肢瘫痪的患者已经使用 BCI 技术实现了与他们的局部环境的非凡程度的交互。然而，目前用于 BCI 的微电极阵列在植入后的数月到数年内丧失了记录高质量神经信号的能力。对于电极阵列植入后数月内神经元和脉管系统的动态反应知之甚少，但电极附近结构完整性的丧失可能导致记录信号的退化。在这里，我们使用体内双模态成像技术在电极插入后 3 个月内对同一动物的神经元和脉管结构进行特征描述。我们发现，在电极附近，神经元持续萎缩，但血管相对稳定，同时有证据表明，罕见的突发性缺氧事件与神经元过程萎缩之间存在联系。
