Neuron and glial activation associated with acute microstimulation in the primary visual cortex

Abstract

Background. Sensory handicaps such as blindness signifi cantly decrease life quality, and the development of a navigational form of sight through cortical stimulation represents a massive breakthrough towards improving these people’s lives. The use of cortical prosthesis capable of stimulating electrically the visual area of the brain could potentially evoke visual perceptions(1). However, immune response against the device limits data acquisition and an accurate stimulation of the brain, preventing the development of a fully functional cortical prosthesis. ● Methods. A stiff stimulating-capable electrode was implanted in V1 of rats and used to study brain-technology interaction, specifi cally neural activation and glial activation (Astrocytes and Microglia). To address this, three conditions were considered, ‘electrode implantation with stimulation’, ‘electrode implantation without stimulation’ and ‘no electrode implantation1’. Results. Both neuron and glial populations exhibited an increased activation associated with acute microstimulation and electrode insertion around the electrode’s site. Conclusions. Our results indicate a correlation between acute microstimulation in the primary visual cortex of rats and an increased neuron and glial activation