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Open-Source Real-Time Closed-Loop Electrical Threshold Tracking for Translational Pain Research
Published on: April 21, 2023
Closed-Loop Decoding and Intervention of Pain: A Novel BMI Strategy Integrating θ-Band Detection and
Yun Ji1, Tao Li2, Guoqiang Lei3
1Department of Pain Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Neuropathic pain (NP) lacks objective biomarkers and effective therapies. We developed a closed-loop brain-machine interface (BMI) using a novel hydrogel electrode for integrated NP management. Clinically, we identified enhanced prefrontal θ-band (4-8 Hz) activity as a specific NP biomarker. To achieve stable long-term recording, we engineered a PFAPT hydrogel with superior biocompatibility, anti-swelling, and low impedance. In rats, it enabled stable electrocorticography (ECoG) acquisition for 28 d, outperforming screw electrodes, and validated θ-band alterations in NP. Incorporated into a closed-loop BMI, the hydrogel delivered θ-triggered cortical stimulation, which increased pain thresholds and alleviated anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in NP rats. Spatial transcriptomics revealed that stimulation bidirectionally regulated inflammation, central sensitization, and affective pathways. This work presents a hydrogel-based closed-loop BMI as a precise diagnostic and therapeutic platform for NP.
