CRCNS: Improving Bioelectronic Selectivity with Intrafascicular Stimulation

周围神经网络提供了调节和/或 监测内脏器官或大脑的功能。神经系统通过以下方式发挥作用 产生神经活动的模式。为了影响神经活动以获得预期的结果， 神经接口技术必须访问适当的周围神经组织，激活它 以有重点、有针对性的方式，并改变活动模式。大脑的解剖结构 周围神经，由聚集成一个或多个神经束的多个神经纤维组成， 提出了精确控制时空模式的机遇和挑战。药效 周围神经刺激的能力将在很大程度上取决于生物电子的能力 接口以实现临床应用可能需要的特异性， 基础科学研究和增强人类能力。实现更高性能的系统 特效性可能实现更高程度的功能，副作用更少。这 研究的目的是提高周围神经的特异性。 刺激的方式将使广泛的临床和非临床应用。 嵌入神经束内的神经内电极可以利用低幅度的电 脉冲以产生电场，该电场可以优先激活小纤维组， 离电极很近。纵向束内电极(LIFE)允许进入神经 束束内的纤维及其机械性能非常适合长期使用。《生活》 使激活具有亚束特异性，但有很大的潜力增强 他们使用高级刺激策略的特异性。这次美法合作的目标是 协作是通过探索两种方法来实现高度专用性：使用多个 分束内的触点用于直流电(磁场导向策略)和使用替代方案 优先激活具有特定属性(波形)的纤维的刺激脉冲的形状 战略)。该提议建立在先前的合作基础上，其中一个新的硬件平台用于 刺激是由法国团队开发的。使用计算模型，我们将开发和 分析选择性刺激单个神经束内神经纤维的新策略。这个 硬件平台将得到增强和进一步开发，以实现实时实施 具有一系列生命周期的磁场导向和波形策略。麻醉药物的体内实验研究 兔子将评估磁场控制和波形策略的能力，以增强 束内刺激的选择性。

The network of peripheral nerves offers extraordinary potential for modulating and/or monitoring the functioning of internal organs or the brain. The nervous system functions by generating patterns of neural activity. To influence neural activity for desired outcomes, neural interface technology must access the appropriate peripheral nerve tissue, activate it in a focal targeted manner, and alter the patterns of activity. The anatomical organization of peripheral nerves, which consists of multiple nerve fibers clustered into one or more fascicles, presents opportunities and challenges for precise control of spatiotemporal patterns. The efficacy of peripheral nerve stimulation will depend greatly on the ability of the bioelectronic interface to achieve the specificity that may be required for clinical applications, basic science studies and for augmentation of human capabilities. Systems that enable greater specifictty are likely to achieve a higher degree of functionality with fewer side effects. This work is directed at increasing the specificity that can be achieved with peripheral nerve stimulation in a manner that will enable a wide range of clinical and non­ clinical applications. lntraneural electrodes that are embedded within the fascicles can utilize low-amplitude electrical pulses to generate an electric field that can preferentially activate small groups of fibers that are close to the electrode. Longitudinal intrafascicular electrodes (LIFEs) allow access to nerve fibers within a fascicle and their mechanical properties are well-suited for chronic use. LIFEs enable activation with sub­ fascicular specificity, but there is great potential for enhancing their specificity using advanced stimulation strategies. The goal of this US-French collaboration is to achieve high specificity by exploring two approaches: using multiple contacts within a fascicle to direct current (field-steering strategies) and using alternative shapes of stimulation pulses to preferentially activate fibers with specific properties (waveform strategies). The proposal builds on a prior collaboration in which a new hardware platform for stimulation was developed by the French team. Using computational models, we will develop and analyze new strategies for selective stimulation of nerve fibers within individual fascicles. The hardware platform will be enhanced and further developed to enable real-time implementation of the field-steering and waveform strategies with a set of LIFEs. In vivo studies on anesthetized rabbits will assess the ability of the field-steering and waveform strategies to enhance selectivity with intrafascicular stimulation.