Flexible graphene-based neurotechnology for high-precision deep brain mapping and neuromodulation in Parkinsonian rats
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neuroelectronic therapy for the treatment of a broad range of neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. Current DBS technologies face important limitations that impact their efficacy, such as large electrode size, invasiveness, and lack of adaptive therapy based on biomarker monitoring. The use of novel electrode materials is expected to contribute to overcome these limitations. In a previous study, we reported that nanoporous reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is a promising electrode material due to its high charge injection capacity and low impedance. Here, we investigate the potential benefits of using the rGO technology in DBS. To this end, we implant a flexible high-density array of rGO microelectrodes in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of healthy and hemi-parkinsonian rats to investigate specific electrophysiological Parkinsonian biomarkers and to assess the effect of microscale stimulation. We demonstrate that these microelectrodes record action potentials with high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR > 6), allowing the precise localization of deep brain structures like the STN, and the tracking of multiunit-based biomarkers such as STN bursts. The bidirectional capability to deliver high-density focal stimulation and to record high-fidelity signals unlocks the visualization of the local neuromodulation of the multiunit biomarker. These findings demonstrate the potential of bidirectional high-resolution neural interfaces to investigate the mechanisms around DBS in preclinical models and suggest new avenues for the use of adaptive closed-loop operation based on electrophysiological biomarkers monitoring.
Source: Nature Communications
Institutions: Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia, University of Manchester, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine, Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica, Institut de Microelectrònica de Barcelona, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Centres de Recerca de Catalunya, Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia, Graphene Flagship, University of Manchester, European Commission, Generalitat de Catalunya, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, European Social Fund
Awards: G1105844351, G1119546765, G1241847824, G1255325603, G1288213089, G1414291015, G1819776118, G1855990336, G190797785, G2110243209, G2115222242, G2262748287, G2290189609, G2309174360, G2313053443, G2542020899, G2660406951, G278875382, G2913093573, G3005324705, G3261693824, G33163370, G3480869486, G3518538256, G3522231704, G354764522, G3681454997, G4042783231, G425668148, G430777504, G451917667, G4944594896, G5005113829, G5080475149, G5099673792, Graphene Flagship Core Project 3, G5178665745, G533957086, G5421974903, G5635532810, G5706383408, G5805502524, G5955501538, G5967599077, G6011688299, G6218905885, G6466088583, G6605876378, G6656126374, G6731524417, G6759083761, G6762955466, G676850745, G6988416435, G7084143925, G7511463721, G7731791180, G7805626310, G7863371703, G8040421372, G8164016303, G8497050386, G887491987, G93289562
OpenAlex ID: W4408818975