A New Animal Model for Developing a Somatosensory Neural Interface

描述（由申请人提供）：NIH神经假体项目在皮质控制神经假体领域取得了如此多的成功，以至于FDA已经批准了多项人体试验，以测试脑机接口（BMI）皮质植入物的安全性和有效性。BMI技术的一个重要应用是假肢的直接皮层控制。然而，在这方面的努力是一个关键的差距是缺乏体感反馈，这是需要支持本体感觉和触觉的假肢。我们建议，在背根神经节（DRG）的初级传入神经元的多通道微刺激将提供一个可行的和首选的路线，恢复肢体姿势，运动，力量和触觉的自然感觉。这种方法在原理上类似于人工耳蜗植入，人工耳蜗植入使用听觉神经的多通道电刺激来恢复重度耳聋患者的听力。该研究的主要目的是建立一种新的动物（猫）模型，用于开发与颈DRG体感传入神经元的神经界面。我们的方法建立在我们之前成功获得猫腰背根神经节中大量初级传入神经的急性和慢性单单位记录的基础上（Stein et al. 2004; Weber et al. 2006）。所提出的模型将服务于两个重要的目标：1）上述神经假体应用的体感神经接口的开发和2）手臂运动的感觉反馈控制的基本调查。并行追求这些目标是有用的，因为对与肢体状态相关的感觉反馈的作用和性质的全面理解将指导直接与神经系统进行反馈和控制的神经假体的设计和实施。本建议的目标是开发一种技术，用于提供本体感觉的假肢使用者使用多通道电微刺激的初级传入神经元在背根神经节（DRG）。这种方法在原理上类似于人工耳蜗植入，人工耳蜗植入使用听觉神经的模式电刺激来恢复重度耳聋患者的听力。这些实验将量化外周传入神经的人工电刺激可以驱动大脑躯体感觉区域神经元活动的自然模式的程度。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The NIH neuroprosthesis program has fostered so much success in the area of cortically controlled neuroprostheses that the FDA has approved multiple human trials to test the safety and efficacy of cortical implants for brain machine interfaces (BMI). An important application of BMI technologies is the direct cortical control of prosthetic limbs. However, a critical gap in this effort is the lack of somatosensory feedback which is needed to support proprioception and tactile sensations for the artificial limb. We propose that multichannel microstimulation of primary afferent neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) would provide a viable and preferred route for restoring natural sensation of limb posture, movement, force, and tactile sensation. This approach is similar, in principle, to that of the cochlear implant, which uses multichannel electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to restore hearing to people with profound deafness. The primary objective of the proposed research is to create a new animal (cat) model for developing a neural interface with somatosensory afferent neurons in the cervical DRG. Our approach builds on our previous success with obtaining acute and chronic single unit recordings from large numbers of primary afferents in the lumbar DRG of cats (Stein et al. 2004; Weber et al. 2006). The proposed model will serve two important goals: 1) the development of a somatosensory neural interface for the neuroprosthetic applications described above and 2) basic investigations into the sensory feedback control of arm movement. It is useful to pursue these goals in parallel, because a comprehensive understanding of the role and nature of sensory feedback related to limb-state will guide the design and implementation of neuroprostheses that interface directly with the nervous system for feedback and control. The goal of this proposal is to develop a technique for providing proprioceptive sensations to users of prosthetic limbs using multichannel electrical microstimulation of primary afferent neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). This approach is similar, in principle, to that of the cochlear implant which uses patterned electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to restore hearing to people with profound deafness. These experiments will quantify the extent to which artificial electrical stimulation of peripheral afferents can drive natural patterns of neuronal activity in somatosensory regions of the brain.