Stable long-term recordings from cat peripheral nerves

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(77)90233-5

Brain Research

Volume 128, Issue 1, 3 June 1977, Pages 21-38

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(77)90233-5 Get rights and content

Abstract

A procedure has been developed for the stable long-term recording of nerve signals in unanaesthetized mammals, which should have wide application in basic research on the nervous system and also in clinical areas such as the derivation of control signals for powered prostheses. Methods are fully described for constructing devices consisting of (1) Silastic nerve cuffs containing three or more electrodes, (2) coiled leads insulated with Silastic which extend from the cuffs to an integrated circuit socket, (3) a vitreous carbon transcutaneous connector which surrounds the integrated circuit socket makes a good interface with the skin. Neural activity has been recorded from mammalian nerves for many months during normal behaviour. The peak-to-peak amplitude and latency of the recorded compound action potentials remain stable and may continue at a constant level more or less indefinitely. A tripolar recording configuration between a central lead and the two end leads, which are connected together, permits good rejection of EMG signals from surrounding muscles. The amplitude of single unit potentials increases as the square of the conduction velocity of the nerve fibre. Thus, the largest nerve fibres will dominate the signals recorded during behaviour.

The reasons for premature termination of a few experiments are given together with methods for overcoming these problems. For examples, platinum-iridium electrodes remain relatively stable, whereas silver wires tend to fracture after being in an animal for several months. This and other relationships are discussed which permit an optimal design of nerve cuffs for a given recording situation.

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Cited by (127)

Improving suction technology for nerve activity recording
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A similar idea was also adapted for the design of cuff electrodes for nerve recording and stimulation. In this technology, the nerves are confined in a narrow space with non-conductive wall to approximate the biophysical relationships of the oil pool (Sauter et al., 1983; Stein et al., 1977). New designs of the cuff electrode allow the inside walls of a cylindrical polymeric sheath to be wrapped tightly around the nerve, and provides high-quality recording (Loeb and Peck, 1996).
Extracellular recording of nerve activities using suction electrodes is an easy yet powerful tool in characterizing neural activities in physiology and pathological conditions. The key factors that determine the quality of suction electrode recordings have not been fully investigated.
New Methods: Here, we proposed a biophysical model to study the mechanisms underlying suction technology for axon recording. The model focuses on the interpretation of the recorded single neuron activity based on the location of the electrode, the integrity of the recorded tissue, and the tightness of the suction. To directly test these model predictions, we applied two channel recordings from the nerves in Aplysia californica, and analyzed the shape of the extracellularly recorded single neuron activity under various conditions.
We found that both the recording site and the integrity of the neural tissue impact the shape of the action potentials traveling along the axon. In practice, the tightness of the suction is the key parameter for high-quality recordings using a suction electrode.
Comparison with Existing Methods: Experimental protocols that can improve precise positioning of the electrode tip to the target nerve, avoid tissue damage, enhance suction force, and maintain tightness are essential for high-quality suction recording from axons. Current methods have not emphasized on achieving and maintaining of the suction pressure during experimentation, and have sometimes ignored the impact of suction electrode position or tissue damage to the quality of the recorded neural signal.
A combined theoretical analysis and experimental approach is essential in improving neural recording technology. The work provides theoretical and practical guidelines to improve suction technology. This work also provides valuable insights to the improvement of several other extracellular recording technology in laboratory research or clinical settings.
A review for the peripheral nerve interface designer
2020, Journal of Neuroscience Methods
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Mathematically, the measured ENG is the second spatial difference of the voltage across the length of the cuff (Stein et al., 1977). Stein et al. (1977) provided a demonstration of EMG cancellation with a tripolar cuff, shown in Fig. 6. Monopolar, bipolar, and tripolar cuff recordings were recorded in the presence of EMG from nearby muscles, after which the muscles were denervated and the recordings were repeated.
Informational density and relative accessibility of the peripheral nervous system make it an attractive site for therapeutic intervention. Electrode-based electrophysiological interfaces with peripheral nerves have been under development since the 1960s and, for several applications, have seen widespread clinical implementation. However, many applications require a combination of neural target resolution and stability which has thus far eluded existing peripheral nerve interfaces (PNIs). With the goal of aiding PNI designers in development of devices that meet the demands of next-generation applications, this review seeks to collect and present practical considerations and best practices which emerge from the literature, including both lessons learned during early PNI development and recent ideas. Fundamental and practical principles guiding PNI design are reviewed, followed by an updated and critical account of existing PNI designs and strategies. Finally, a brief survey of in vitro and in vivo PNI characterization methods is presented.
The foreign body response to the Utah Slant Electrode Array in the cat sciatic nerve
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For example, a number of studies have reported no difference in morphometric parameters following implantation of cuff electrodes [12–16], indicating that the implantation of such devices, which do little physical damage to the nerve, can be relatively benign with regard to changes elicited from the FBR with regard to nerve fiber composition. Other studies using extraneural cuff-style electrodes have reported alterations in morphometric parameters, including changes in fiber density [17–19] and fiber diameter distributions [19–21], which are likely due to differences in electrode design and methodological approach. In contrast, the histological changes associated with the FBR to sieve, regenerative and intrafascicular electrodes – electrode types that induce more physical damage upon insertion or application – tend to be greater and include changes in fiber count [22–26], fiber density [26], fiber packing [22] and fiber diameter and/or g-ratio (ratio of axon diameter to the outer diameter of the myelinated fiber) distributions [25–28] as they involve a variable amount of nerve axotomy, depending on the size and design of the electrode used.
As the field of neuroprosthetic research continues to grow, studies describing the foreign body reaction surrounding chronic indwelling electrodes or microelectrode arrays will be critical for assessing biocompatibility. Of particular importance is the reaction surrounding penetrating microelectrodes that are used to stimulate and record from peripheral nerves used for prosthetic control, where such studies on axially penetrating electrodes are limited. Using the Utah Slant Electrode Array and a variety of histological methods, we investigated the foreign body response to the implanted array and its surrounding silicone cuff over long indwelling periods in the cat sciatic nerve. We observed that implanted nerves were associated with increased numbers of activated macrophages at the implant site, as well as distal to the implant, at all time points examined, with the longest observation being 350 days after implantation. We found that implanted cat sciatic nerves undergo a compensatory regenerative response after the initial injury that is accompanied by shifts in nerve fiber composition toward nerve fibers of smaller diameter and evidence of axons growing around microelectrode shafts. Nerve fibers located in fascicles that were not penetrated by the array or were located more than a few hundred microns from the implant appeared normal when examined over the course of a year-long indwelling period.
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^*: Present address: University of Calgary Medical School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

View full text

Stable long-term recordings from cat peripheral nerves

Abstract

Comp. Progr. Biomed.

Brain Research

J. theoret. Biol.

Exp. Neurol.

Parylene-C as a chronically stable, reliable dielectric coating for implanted electrodes

Soc. Neurosci. Abstr.

Voluntary nerve signals from severed mammalian nerves: long-term recordings

Science

Experimental improvements in the use of silastic cuffs for peripheral nerve repair

J. Neurosurg.

Pyramidal tract activity associated with a conditioned hand movement in the monkey

J. Neurophysiol.

Advances in External Control of Human Extremities

Yugoslav Committee for Electronic and Automation

Long-term Peripheral Nerve Activity during Behaviour in the Rabbit: the Control of Locomotion