Polymer Fiber Probes Enable Optical Control of Spinal Cord and Muscle Function In Vivo

Restoration of motor and sensory functions in paralyzed patients requires the development of tools for simultaneous recording and stimulation of neural activity in the spinal cord. In addition to its complex neurophysiology, the spinal cord presents technical challenges stemming from its fl exible fi brous structure and repeated elastic deformation during normal motion. To address these engineering constraints, we developed highly fl exible fi ber probes, consisting entirely of polymers, for combined optical stimulation and recording of neural activity. The fabricated fi ber probes exhibit low-loss light transmission even under repeated extreme bending deformations. Using our fi ber probes, we demonstrate simultaneous recording and optogenetic stimulation of neural activity in the spinal cord of transgenic mice expressing the light sensitive protein channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2). Furthermore, optical stimulation of the spinal cord with the polymer fi ber probes induces on-demand limb movements that correlate with electromyographical (EMG) activity.

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