Neural recording technology shows promise for brain-machine interfaces

The team from the Institute for Research on Next-generation Semiconductor and Sensing Science (IRES²) at the Toyohashi University of Technology, National Institute of Technology, Ibaraki College, and TechnoPro R&D Company made their breakthrough with a needle-electrode with a diameter of 4µm. Their findings are detailed in Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

The researchers said that recording neuronal activity within diabetic brain tissue is particularly challenging due to various complications, including the development of cerebrovascular disease. Because of the significant advantage of the miniaturised needle-electrode compared to conventional technologies, the needle electrode minimised tissue injury and enabled stable recording for a month.

“Our challenge was to develop a technique to record neuronal activities from a mouse model of diabetes. Our technique successfully recorded neuronal activity in diabetic mice while minimising tissue responses. These findings suggest that our electrode can be applied to various damaged brain tissues, not only diabetes but also other diseases,” said first authors of the article, masters student Rioki Sanda and PhD Koji Yamashita.