Microwires and chip record brain activity at scale

The new method to accurately record brain activity at scale has been developed by researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, Stanford University and UCL.

Improving control of amputees’ prostheses with implanted electrodes

The research in mice, published in Science Advances, is said to have developed an accurate and scalable method to record brain activity across large areas, including on the surface and in deeper regions simultaneously.

According to Crick, the new device combines silicon chip technology with super-slim microwire electrodes that can be placed deep in the brain without causing significant damage. Alongside its ability to monitor brain activity, the device could also be used to inject electrical signals into precise areas of the brain.

"This technology provides the basis for lots of exciting future developments beyond neuroscience research. It could lead to tech that can pass a signal from the brain to a machine, for example helping those with amputations to control a prosthetic limb to shake a hand or stand up. It could also be used to create electrical signals in the brain when neurons are damaged and aren't firing themselves, such as in motor neurone disease," said Andreas Schaefer, group leader in the neurophysiology of behaviour laboratory at the Crick and professor of neuroscience at UCL.