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J Neurophysiol 102: 598-605, 2009. First published April 22, 2009; doi:10.1152/jn.00017.2009
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Innovative Methodology

Wireless Neural Stimulation in Freely Behaving Small Animals

Scott K. Arfin1, Michael A. Long2, Michale S. Fee2 and Rahul Sarpeshkar1

1Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and 2Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Submitted 6 January 2009; accepted in final form 14 April 2009

We introduce a novel wireless, low-power neural stimulation system for use in freely behaving animals. The system consists of an external transmitter and a miniature, implantable wireless receiver–stimulator. The implant uses a custom integrated chip to deliver biphasic current pulses to four addressable bipolar electrodes at 32 selectable current levels (10 µA to 1 mA). To achieve maximal battery life, the chip enters a sleep mode when not needed and can be awakened remotely when required. To test our device, we implanted bipolar stimulating electrodes into the songbird motor nucleus HVC (formerly called the high vocal center) of zebra finches. Single-neuron recordings revealed that wireless stimulation of HVC led to a strong increase of spiking activity in its downstream target, the robust nucleus of the arcopallium. When we used this device to deliver biphasic pulses of current randomly during singing, singing activity was prematurely terminated in all birds tested. Thus our device is highly effective for remotely modulating a neural circuit and its corresponding behavior in an untethered, freely behaving animal.

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: R. Sarpeshkar, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 38-294, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (E-mail: rahuls{at}mit.edu)






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