A novel microwire interface for small diameter peripheral nerves in a chronic, awake murine model

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Bioelectronic Medicine
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• The vagus nerve plays a role in immune responses, with increasing research in mouse models.
• Current technology lacks electrodes for chronic neural recording from the small mouse vagus nerve.
• Such recordings are crucial for understanding vagus nerve biomarkers in translational research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel wrappable microwire electrode for chronic vagus nerve recordings in mice.
• To establish a chronic, awake mouse model for recording vagus nerve activity.
• To assess the feasibility of this technology for bioelectronic medicine applications.

Main Methods:

• Surgically implanted wrappable microwires onto the mouse vagus nerve, similar to cuff electrodes.
• Validated recording fidelity against commercial electrodes in acute, anesthetized models.
• Developed a chronic, awake mouse model to record spontaneous compound action potentials (CAPs).

Main Results:

• The wrappable microwire achieved comparable signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) and amplitude to commercial electrodes in acute recordings.
• Viable SNRs were obtained in chronic, awake recordings for 30–60 days.
• Device stability was confirmed by impedance measurements, with consistent CAP recording.

Conclusions:

• This study reports the first chronic, awake neural interface for the mouse vagus nerve.
• The developed wrappable microwire technology facilitates preclinical research in bioelectronic medicine.
• This advancement enables more clinically relevant preclinical models for studying vagus nerve function.