title: Mechanical Flexibility Reduces the Foreign Body Response to Long-Term Implanted Microelectrodes in Rabbit Cortex.
abstract: Micromotion between the brain and implanted electrodes is a major contributor to the failure of invasive microelectrodes. Movements of the electrode tip cause recording instabilities while spike amplitudes decline over the weeks/months post-implantation due to glial cell activation caused by sustained mechanical trauma. We compared the glial response over a 26-96 week period following implantation in the rabbit cortex of microwires and a novel flexible electrode. Horizontal sections were used to obtain a depth profile of the radial distribution of microglia, astrocytes and neurofilament. We found that the flexible electrode was associated with decreased gliosis compared to the microwires over these long indwelling periods. This was in part due to a decrease in overall microgliosis and enhanced neuronal density around the flexible probe, especially at longer periods of implantation.
authors: Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhassett, NY, 11030, United States of America.|Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
authors: Harbaljit S
authors: HS
authors: Sohal
authors: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
authors: Gavin J
authors: GJ
authors: Clowry
authors: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Jackson
authors: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: O'Neill
authors: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, United Kingdom.
authors: Stuart N
authors: SN
authors: Baker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005549:Foreign-Body Reaction / Q000473:pathology*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D011817:Rabbits; D013194:Staining and Labeling