Chronic Cranial Window Technique for Repeated Cortical Recordings During Anesthesia in Pigs

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Surgical techniques
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Chronic cortical recordings are vital for brain-computer interfaces and disease diagnostics.
• Invasive methods face challenges like device failure and adverse tissue responses, impacting signal quality.
• Existing techniques require improvement for long-term reliability and reduced biological impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel cranial window technique for reliable, long-term cortical recordings.
• To minimize device failure and tissue reactions associated with chronic electrode implantation.
• To provide a scalable and reproducible method for electrocorticography (ECoG) in research settings.

Main Methods:

• Implantation and repeated access of a cranial window in juvenile landrace pigs.
• Temporary electrocorticography (ECoG) array placement on the dura mater for signal recording.
• Recording of event-related potentials (ERPs) from the primary somatosensory cortex.

Main Results:

• The cranial window technique significantly reduced electrode failure and tissue responses.
• Stable and reliable cortical recordings were achieved over time with minimal electrode usage.
• The method allowed assessment of interventions, such as high-frequency stimulation, on ERPs, demonstrating research economy.

Conclusions:

• The cranial window approach offers a scalable, reliable, and reproducible method for chronic cortical recordings.
• This technique enhances animal welfare and research economy by minimizing invasiveness and device issues.
• Potential applications include pain research, neurological disease diagnosis, and future adaptations for other species and recording modalities.