Application of a flexible polymer microECoG array to map functional coherence in schizophrenia model

ABSTRACT Anatomically, connections form the fundamental brain network, functionally the different types of oscillatory electric activities are creating a temporarily connected fraction of the anatomical connectome generating an output to the motor system. Schizophrenia can be considered as a connectome disease, in which the sensory input generates a schizophrenia specific temporary connectome and the signal processing becomes diseased showing hallucinations and adverse behavioral reactions. In this work, flexible, 32-channel polymer microelectrode arrays fabricated by the authors are used to map the functional coherence on large cortical areas during physiological activities in a schizophrenia model in rats. - Fabrication of a flexible microECoG array is shown. - Protocol to use a flexible microECoG is demonstrated to characterize connectome diseases in rats. - Customized method to analyze the functional coherence between different cortical areas during visually evoked potential is detailed. - R-based implementation of the analysis method is presented.