Design of neural prosthetic system for lost sensory functions using microelectrode arrays

本研究的目的是建立神经假体的设计指南，以恢复由于感觉细胞或通路紊乱而丧失的感觉功能。研究成果总结如下。首先，我们开发了听觉脑干植入物（ABI）的实验动物模型，该模型直接刺激脑干中的耳蜗核，以恢复被切除听觉神经的聋哑患者的听力。该模型包括用于听觉皮层记录的表面微电极阵列和用于耳蜗核微刺激的尖峰微电极阵列。其次，利用大鼠ABI模型，我们证明耳蜗核微刺激可以诱发听觉皮层的时空神经活动，并且在纯音诱发激活后可以进行适当的刺激，这表明刺激可以诱发音调和强度感觉，从而实质上验证了ABI的能力。第三，我们提出并验证了“多重门控刺激”，它可以选择性地激活放置在电极之间的神经。该技术通过“阴极源电极”广泛产生动作电位，同时通过“阳极栅电极”阻止不必要的传播，从而导致电极之间的选择性传播。我们通过神经方程模拟和大鼠脊髓刺激的体内实验证明了可行性。第四，我们的皮层听觉诱发电位（AEP）图证明大鼠听觉皮层分为多个听觉场，它们以各自的方式表示测试音的信息。第五，我们结合理论和实验工作来更好地理解时空神经元激活。我们解释了矛盾的 MLR 神经发生及其各种形态，特别是在早期潜伏期，最后表明它们是由三种活动的组合决定的：皮质放电活动、皮质突触活动和远离皮质的其他活动。较少的

The objective of the present study is to establish design guidelines for developing neural prosthesis that restores lost sensory functions due to disorders of sensory cells or pathways. The achievements of the study are summarized as follows. First, we developed an experimental animal model of the auditory brainstem implant (ABI) that directly stimulates the cochlear nucleus in the brainstem to restore the hearing of deaf patients who had their auditory nerves removed. The model included a surface microelectrode array for auditory cortical recording and a spike microelectrode arrray for the microstimulation in the cochlear nucleus. Second, using the ABI model of rats, we demonstrated that the cochlear nuclear microstirnulation could evoke spatio-temporal neural activity in the auditory cortex and the proper stimulation could take after the pure-tone-evoked activation, suggesting that the stimulation could induce a pitch and intensity sensation and thus substantially verifying the capab … More ility of ABI Third, we proposed and verified "the multiple gating stimulation," which can selectively activate nerves placing in between electrodes. The technique broadly generated action potentials with "the cathodic sourte electrodes," and simultaneously blocked unnecessary propagation with "the anodic gate electrodes," resulting in selective propagation in between electrodes. We demonstrated the feasibility via simulations with nerve equations and in vivo experiments of rat spinal cord stimulation Forth, our cortical auditory evoked potential (AEP) mapping demonstrated that the rat auditory cortex is divided into the multiple auditory fields, which represent the information of test tones in their respective manner. Fifth, we combined theoretical and experimental works to better understand the spatio-tempomal neuronal activation. We interpreted the contradictory MLR neurogenesis and their various morphologies particularly within early latency, and finally suggested that they were determined by combination of three activities: cortical firing activities, cortical synaptic activities, and other activities far from cortex. Less