Sensory kindling: implications for development of sensory prostheses

In designing sensory prosthetic implants that operate on the basis of direct electrical stimulation of the brain, the question of the plasticity of the tissue's response to the stimulation arises. Especially relevant is the kindling phenomenon, in which convulsions develop in response to repeated low-level electrical stimulation of the brain, including thalamic or neocortical primary sensory structures. Therefore, caution should be exercised in the development and application of prosthetic devices that directly activate brain tissue for long periods of time.