AUTHOR=Meacham Kathleen W., Guo Liang , DeWeerth Stephen P., Hochman Shawn TITLE=Selective Stimulation of the Spinal Cord Surface Using a Stretchable Microelectrode Array JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroengineering VOLUME=4 YEAR=2011 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroengineering/articles/10.3389/fneng.2011.00005 DOI=10.3389/fneng.2011.00005 ISSN=1662-6443 ABSTRACT=
By electrically stimulating the spinal cord, it is possible to activate functional populations of neurons that modulate motor and sensory function. One method for accessing these neurons is via their associated axons, which project as functionally segregated longitudinal columns of white-matter funiculi (i.e., spinal tracts). To stimulate spinal tracts without penetrating the cord, we have recently developed technology that enables close-proximity, multi-electrode contact with the spinal cord surface. Our stretchable microelectrode arrays (sMEAs) are fabricated using an elastomer polydimethylsiloxane substrate and can be wrapped circumferentially around the spinal cord to optimize electrode contact. Here, sMEAs were used to stimulate the surfaces of rat spinal cords maintained