The technology has the capability to develop better treatments for spinal cord injuries and diseases.
"Being able to extract such knowledge is a first but important step to develop cures for millions of people suffering from spinal cord diseases," said Yu Wu, a Research Scientist at Rice University.
The study reported that the sensor was used to record neuronal activity in the spinal cord of freely moving mice for prolonged periods and with great resolution. The sensor can also track the same neuron over multiple days.
Rigid sensors planted in the spinal cord can damage fragile tissue if a patient moves. SpinalNET, however, is 100 times smaller than the width of a hair, making it softer and more flexible so less prone to damage and causing injury.
Using spinalNET, researchers were able to determine that the spinal neurons in the central pattern generator -; the neuronal circuit that can produce rhythmic motor patterns such as walking in the absence of specific timing information -; seem to be involved with a lot more than rhythmic movement.
The researchers said they hope to help unravel some of this complexity in future research, tackling questions such as the difference between how spinal neurons process reflex motion ⎯ getting startled, for instance ⎯ versus volitional action.
"We believe that as the technology evolves, it has great potential as a medical device for people with spinal cord neurological disorders and injury," Lan Luan, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Corresponding Author on the study said.
