University of Michigan Develops Better Brain Implant to Measure Neural Activity

A thin, flexible electrode developed at the University of Michigan could make long-term measurements of neural activity practical. The technology could eventually be used to send signals to prosthetic limbs, overcoming inflammation larger electrodes cause that damages both the brain and the electrodes.

The main problem that neurons have with electrodes is that they make terrible neighbors. In addition to being bigger compared than neurons, they are stiff and tend to rub nearby cells the wrong way. The resident immune cells spot the foreigner and attack, inflaming the brain tissue and blocking communication between the electrode and the cells. For more information, click here to read the full release.