New brain implants may lead to better therapies for people with neurological injuries

Scientists have demonstrated that about 50 grain-sized electronic brain implants can be used to record a rodent’s neural activity, an advance that may lead to better therapeutics for people with brain or spinal injuries.

According to the researchers, including those from Brown University in the US, the sensors, dubbed “neurograins”, can independently record electrical pulses made by firing nerve cells and send these signals wirelessly to a central hub.

The scientists say the results, published in the journal Nature Electronics on Thursday, could one day enable the recording of brain signals in unprecedented detail. This can, in turn, lead to new therapies for people with brain or spinal injuries.