Issue 2, 2024

Recording physiological and pathological cortical activity and exogenous electric fields using graphene microtransistor arrays in vitro

Abstract

Graphene-based solution-gated field-effect transistors (gSGFETs) allow the quantification of the brain's full-band signal. Extracellular alternating current (AC) signals include local field potentials (LFP, population activity within a reach of hundreds of micrometers), multiunit activity (MUA), and ultimately single units. Direct current (DC) potentials are slow brain signals with a frequency under 0.1 Hz, and commonly filtered out by conventional AC amplifiers. This component conveys information about what has been referred to as “infraslow” activity. We used gSGFET arrays to record full-band patterns from both physiological and pathological activity generated by the cerebral cortex. To this end, we used an in vitro preparation of cerebral cortex that generates spontaneous rhythmic activity, such as that occurring in slow wave sleep. This examination extended to experimentally induced pathological activities, including epileptiform discharges and cortical spreading depression. Validation of recordings obtained via gSGFETs, including both AC and DC components, was accomplished by cross-referencing with well-established technologies, thereby quantifying these components across different activity patterns. We then explored an additional gSGFET potential application, which is the measure of externally induced electric fields such as those used in therapeutic neuromodulation in humans. Finally, we tested the gSGFETs in human cortical slices obtained intrasurgically. In conclusion, this study offers a comprehensive characterization of gSGFETs for brain recordings, with a focus on potential clinical applications of this emerging technology.

Graphical abstract: Recording physiological and pathological cortical activity and exogenous electric fields using graphene microtransistor arrays in vitro

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 8 2023
Accepted
07 11 2023
First published
15 12 2023
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 664-677

Recording physiological and pathological cortical activity and exogenous electric fields using graphene microtransistor arrays in vitro

N. Cancino-Fuentes, A. Manasanch, J. Covelo, A. Suarez-Perez, E. Fernandez, S. Matsoukis, C. Guger, X. Illa, A. Guimerà-Brunet and M. V. Sanchez-Vives, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 664 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR03842D

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