A Closed-Loop Neural Prosthesis for Restoration of Function After Traumatic Brain Injury
Abstract
For at least 50 years, scientists have postulated that the various parts of the brain are interconnected based on specific rules governed by the timing of inputs and outputs. Experiments in immature, or developing brains, as well as those investigating how the mature brain forms new memories, have led to the modern maxim, "Neurons that fire together, wire together." In other words, brain cells that are active at the same time are more likely to be related functionally, and thus, through as yet unknown mechanisms, form increasingly stronger communication links, eventually forming permanent coupling via anatomical connections. At least in the developing brain, this occurs via the sprouting of axons that form the conduits for communication between the various parts of the brain. Recent studies have now demonstrated that after injury, such as might occur post-stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurons in the remaining intact brain tissue spontaneously reorganize. One can now conclude that the injured brain is not simply a normal brain with a part removed. It forms completely new networks that allow compensation for lost functions, and thus some limited functional recovery. This proposal deals with "treatment and rehabilitation interventions that reduce the negative impact of ... concussion/mild [TBI]" and hence addresses Area 2: Psychological Health and Resilience of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program of the Fiscal Year 2015 Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program Priority Areas. Specifically, the goal of this proposal is to combine the resources of scientists with expertise in brain plasticity after injury as well as engineers with expertise in developing microelectronic circuitry in order to optimize the brain s potential for rewiring after injury. This interdisciplinary group will continue the development of an implantable electronic circuit that will record neuronal activity in one part of the brain and use these signals to stimulate another part of the brain. This circuit will essentially provide artificial coupling between brain areas that are not normally co-activated. Based on the abovementioned modern maxim, this artificial coupling should provide the stimulus for new functional connections to form, permanently linking the two areas. While such functional reorganization is difficult in a normal brain, we aim to provide the coupling signals in the first month after injury, when brain repair programs are most robust. Our initial studies in a rodent model of TBI demonstrated rapid improvement in motor function using our unique technology. While this novel approach to brain repair is still in its infancy and proposed studies will be done exclusively in animal models of TBI, we foresee several patient populations in which this technology could be applied. First, and foremost, this includes the ~1.5 million individuals per year in the U.S. who experience TBI. While the highest incidence of TBI traditionally has been among young people due to automobile accidents, and older adults due to falls, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have brought about new forms of brain injury due to the exposure of Soldiers to improvised explosive devices. In addition, stroke patients could also benefit from the development of such novel therapies. Nearly 800,000 new strokes occur in the U.S. each year, and this number is rising continually due to the aging population. Other conditions that involve acquired brain injuries would also be amenable to such treatment, such as treatment of individuals with surgical removal of brain tumors. In each of these groups, artificial coupling of remote brain areas may allow more efficient communication to occur in the injured brain, improving motor and cognitive functions. While clinical trials will be necessary to delineate any side effects, the risks are not expected to be any greater than other minor neurosurgical procedures. At the end of a 3-year time span, we expe
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610503
Entities
People
- Pedram Mohseni
Organizations
- Case Western Reserve University
- United States Army