Protocol for wireless deep brain stimulation in freely behaving mice with infrared light

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a crucial technique for studying brain function and treating neurological disorders.
• Current DBS methods often involve invasive implants and tethers, limiting behavioral studies, especially in social contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel protocol for deep brain stimulation in freely behaving mice.
• To enable tether-free neuromodulation using near-infrared window (NIR-II) illumination.
• To facilitate studies of social interactions in multi-subject experiments.

Main Methods:

• Injection of TRPV1-expressing viruses and macromolecular infrared nanotransducers for deep brain stimulation (MINDS).
• Application of through-scalp wide-field illumination in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II).
• Neuromodulation was assessed using a conditioned place preference test and confirmed with immunohistochemical studies.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of a protocol for deep brain stimulation in freely behaving mice.
• Demonstration of NIR-II neuromodulation capabilities.
• Validation of the technique through behavioral and histological analyses.

Conclusions:

• The presented protocol offers a powerful tool for tether-free deep brain stimulation in mice.
• This method significantly advances the ability to study brain function during complex social behaviors.
• The NIR-II approach provides a minimally invasive and versatile platform for neuromodulation research.