Biofeedback electrostimulation for bionic and long-lasting neural modulation.

Abstract

Invasive electrical stimulation (iES) is prone to cause neural stimulus-inertia owing to its excessive accumulation of exogenous charges, thereby resulting in many side effects and even failure of nerve regeneration and functional recovery. Here, a wearable neural iES system is well designed and built for bionic and long-lasting neural modulation. It can automatically yield biomimetic pulsed electrical signals under the driven of respiratory motion. These electrical signals are full of unique physiological synchronization can give biofeedback to respiratory behaviors, self-adjusting with different physiological states of the living body, and thus realizing a dynamic and biological self-matched modulation of voltage-gated calcium channels on the cell membrane. Abundant cellular and animal experimental evidence confirm an effective elimination of neural stimulus-inertia by these bioelectrical signals. An unprecedented nerve regeneration and motor functional reconstruction are achieved in long-segmental peripheral nerve defects, which is equal to the gold standard of nerve repair -- autograft. The wearable neural iES system provides an advanced platform to overcome the common neural stimulus-inertia and gives a broad avenue for personalized iES therapy of nerve injury and neurodegenerative diseases.