ORNL Takes Step Towards Improving Quality of Life for Patients With Neurological Impairments

Imagine a day when stroke victims no longer carry the lasting effects of the stroke with them for the rest of their lives or when teens suffering from injury-related brain traumas routinely make full recoveries. Although medical science has made great advances in recent years, improving the quality of life for millions, a question that still remains a hot topic of neuroscience research is “how do we effectively and deterministically interface to neuronal tissue to help restore lost functionality?” Much work is being done and ORNL is on the verge of making its own significant contributions as well. Monolithic Systems Development staff members Nance Ericson and Tim McKnight, in collaboration with Anatoli Melechko and Mike Simpson (Center for Nanophase Materials Science), and Barclay Morrison (Columbia University, Biomedical Engineering Department) have successfully demonstrated the first use of vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) arrays for electrophysiology applications. Mouse hippocampal slices were placed over a 40-element nanoprobe array, designed and fabricated at ORNL, and both stimulus and monitoring of neural communication within the slices were successfully and repeatably achieved. The hippocampus is an area of the brain commonly used in neuroscience research relating to memory and learning. These experiments were performed at Columbia University, under the direction of Barclay Morrison. Future efforts will be directed towards comparing the functional efficacy of this new electrode technology with commercially available interfacing strategies based on flat planar microelectrode arrays. In addition, the long-term biocompatability issues associated with chronic use will be investigated. This technology has great potential to provide brand new strategies for interfacing to both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Not only is the work technically significant, but it represents an example of how the emerging area of nanoscale science and technology can, one day, provide new tools to change old paradigms, giving new hope to a large segment of our population who suffer from the effects of neurological disease and injury.

Submitted by: Gary Alley, Monolithic Systems Development Group

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