Microfabricated Cortical Neuroprostheses

The use of neural implants for stimulation and recording show excellent promise in restoring certain functions to the central nervous system; and neuroprostheses remain one of the most important tools of neuroscientists for the elucidation of the brain's function. Ailments such as Parkinson's disease, obesity, blindness, or epilepsy are being studied from this angle. Development of better electrodes for recording and stimulation is therefore critical to ensure continuing progress in this field. This book addresses one of the main clinical complications of the use of electrodes, namely the reaction of the neurological tissue in the immediate vicinity of implanted devices. The authors describe new techniques for the assessment of this phenomenon, as well as new microfabrication techniques that impede the inflammatory response of the brain that tends to limit the lifetime and reduce the effectiveness of these devices. The measurement protocols and improved fabrication protocols described will become standard tools in the future of neuroprostheses.