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Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center

Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center
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  5. Hybrid Electrical-Optical Stimulation

Hybrid Electrical-Optical Stimulation

hyrbridgraphWhile infrared neural stimulation (INS) is shown to provide an artifact-free, contact-free and spatially selective alternative to electrical methods, INS is limited by a narrow range of radiant exposures (J/cm2) which are both safe and effective for neural activation. We have shown that combining INS with a sub-threshold electrical stimulus reduces stimulation threshold radiant exposures without sacrificing spatial selectivity. This reduction in stimulation threshold associated with hybrid stimulation should provide increased safety when compared to INS alone, facilitate implantation of INS-based devices and promote the acceptance of INS in the field of electrophysiology. In this project we are seeking to better understand the combined interaction of light and electrical current in tissue as it relates to neural activation through hybrid stimulation of both ex vivo and in vivo neural systems, as well as computational modeling of the neural response to both light and current.

 

Researchers

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Publications

Duke AR, Cayce JM, Malphrus JD, Konrad P, Mahadevan-Jansen A, Jansen ED (2009) Combined optical and electrical stimulation of neural tissue in vivo. Journal of Biomedical Optics 14:060501-060503.

Duke, A. R. et al. Hybrid electro-optical stimulation of the rat sciatic nerve induces force generation in the plantarflexor muscles. J. Neural Eng. 9, 066006 (2012).