Minimally invasive recording and analysis of neural signaling
Minimally invasive recording and analysis of neural signaling lead image
Peripheral nerves projecting to visceral organs are a major brain-body interface. Organ function is controlled by the signals sent by these nerves and received by the brain. Bladder control is a common bodily function that can suffer if there are issues with the sensory and/or motor signals between the bladder and the brain.
Monitoring the neural activity in the peripheral nervous system through real-time, closed-loop neuromodulation devices is challenging due to the possibility of damage to the fragile visceral nerves. Payne et al. designed minimally invasive technology that extracts low levels of neural activity from a visceral nerve with a high degree of specificity for fiber type and class.
“We have developed a recording analysis system that essentially allows us to eavesdrop or listen in to the activities of the bladder nerve without damaging the nerve itself,” said author Sophie Payne.
After implanting a 4-electrode planar array into anesthetized male rates, bladders were monitored for urodynamic function by recording bladder pressure changes during a constant infusion of saline via a catheter. The recording and analysis technology selectively extracted mixed neural activity with a low/negative signal-to-noise ratio.
“Demonstrating the ability to extract multiple, different types of neural activity with a low/negative signal-to-noise ratio from a visceral nerve represents a significant advancement in the neuromodulation field,” said Payne. “We also demonstrated that neural activity correlated with bladder pressure which is a promising first step in developing closed-loop technology for patients with urinary incontinence.”
Source: “Selective recording of physiologically evoked neural activity in a mixed autonomic nerve using a minimally invasive array,” by Sophie C. Payne, Peregrine B. Osborne, Alex Thompson, Calvin D. Eiber, Janet R. Keast, and James B. Fallon, APL Bioengineering (2023). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0164951 .
