Recent Advances in Computational and Experimental Bioelectromagnetics for Neuroprosthetics

Our group has developed a modular computational framework that integrates in space and time: (1) an admittance/impedance (AM/IM) multiresolution method capable of predicting currents induced in microscale models of nerves due to neurostimulators of arbitrary geometry with (2) a neural simulation environment (NEURON) capable of predicting nerve excitation. This integration is achieved by coupling high-resolution electromagnetic field solutions from our in-house AM/IM solver with neuronal anatomy and biophysics models implemented in NEURON. Furthermore, this AM/IM/NEURON platform utilizes advanced parallel processing and shared memory techniques to optimize computation times and data transfer rates between the two solvers. Leveraging the capabilities of this platform, our group has undertaken a variety of studies ranging from fundamental neuroscience to applied neuroprosthethic design with the common thread of linking our AM/IM/NEURON computational modeling with experimental data to analyze signaling pathways, test hypotheses, and to guide and validate prosthetic designs.