NIH taps lab to develop sophisticated electrode array system to monitor brain act

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Sep-2014

Contact: Ken Ma ma28@llnl.gov 925-423-7602 DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory @Livermore_Lab

LIVERMORE, Calif. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) a grant today to develop an electrode array system that will enable researchers to better understand how the brain works through unprecedented resolution and scale.

LLNL's grant-funded project is part of NIH's efforts to support President Obama's BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, a new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover ways to treat, prevent and cure brain disorders. NIH is seeking exceptionally creative approaches to address major challenges associated with recording and manipulating neural activity for this endeavor.

The agency announced its first wave of investments totaling $46 million in FY14 funds to support the BRAIN Initiative's goals. More than 100 investigators in 15 states and several countries will work to develop new tools and technologies to understand neural circuit function and capture a dynamic view of the brain in action.

"The human brain is the most complicated biological structure in the known universe. We've only just scratched the surface in understanding how it works or, unfortunately, doesn't quite work when disorders and disease occur," said NIH Director Francis S. Collins. "There's a big gap between what we want to do in brain research and the technologies available to make exploration possible. These initial awards are part of a 12-year scientific plan focused on developing the tools and technologies needed to make the next leap in understanding the brain. This is just the beginning of an ambitious journey and we're excited about the possibilities."

Lawrence Livermore is developing a neural measurement and manipulation system an advanced electronics system to monitor and modulate neurons that will be packed with over 1,000 tiny electrodes embedded in different areas of the brain to record and stimulate neural circuitry. The goal is to develop a system that will allow scientists to simultaneously study how thousands of neuronal cells in various brain regions work together during complex tasks such as decision making and learning.

The biologically compatible neural system will be the first of its kind to have large-scale network recording capabilities that are designed to continuously record neural activities for months to years.

"This is an incredible opportunity for us to develop a technology that is going to advance neuroscience research for the community," said Vanessa Tolosa, an engineer at LLNL's Center for Bioengineering who is a principal investigator on the project. "The brain is a dynamic and complicated system. Though neuroscientists have uncovered a lot about the brain in the last couple of decades, there is a pressing need for new technologies that'll enable us to study more brain regions over longer periods of time."

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NIH taps lab to develop sophisticated electrode array system to monitor brain act