Wireless neurophotonic probes for the interrogation of neurons in memory circuits

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As the average age of the population of Canada and the developed world rises,neurodegenerative conditions will become increasingly prevalent and a growing burden onthe healthcare system and economy. A major neurodegenerative disease is Alzheimersdisease (AD), which causes memory and cognition loss. AD and dementia affect roughly 1.1million Canadians and incur an economic cost of $10.4B per year in Canada. Currently, thereis no cure or effective treatment. The Lancet Neurology Commission recently stated, aneffective therapy for AD is perhaps the greatest unmet need facing modern medicine."This project addresses the challenge of understanding neuron circuits in the brain involved inmemory, with the goal of improving the efficacy of neurostimulation therapies for AD anddementia. Such treatments would stimulate specific brain circuits to promote memoryencoding and/or retrieval in patients with AD or dementia. The project will create a new typeof wireless, implantable deep brain probes for rodent experiments on memory loss rescuethat uses optical stimulation and electrical stimulation+recording of specific groups ofneurons. Importantly, these brain probes will be made using the same processes andinfrastructure as semiconductor microelectronics to ensure compatibility with volumemanufacturing and a viable technology translation path that will widely benefit neuroscientistsand clinical researchers.This project brings together world-class expertise from around the globe in photonics,electronics, neuroscience, and deep brain stimulation. In addition to the Canadian teammembers, the project involves collaborators in France and United States who will providecomplementary expertise in the design, fabrication, and testing of the neural probes. Theresults of this international project will benefit the health of Canadians and lead to high-valueneurotechnology products that are designed and integrated in Canada.