Scientists create a needle-thin brain implant that can do three jobs at once

A new needle-thin brain implant can record neural activity, deliver drugs, and stimulate multiple brain regions using a single flexible fiber. Successful tests in mice suggest it could give scientists a more precise, less invasive way to study the brain and may eventually help treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Scientists create a needle-thin brain implant that can do three jobs at once.

Researchers from DTU, the University of Copenhagen, University College London, and other institutions have developed a long, needle-thin brain electrode equipped with microscopic channels. Known as the microfluidic Axialtrode (mAxialtrode), the device aims to provide multiple functional points along the length of the implant. This allows researchers to record neural activity and deliver medication to specific locations across different parts of the brain.

The findings were published in the journal Advanced Science. A Multifunction Tool for Brain Research For now, the technology is primarily intended as a research tool. Scientists could use it to investigate how signals travel through different layers of the brain during processes involving epilepsy, memory, and decision-making.