Real-time simultaneous recording of electrophysiological activities and dopamine overflow in the deep brain nuclei of a non-human primate with Parkinson’s disease using nano-based microelectrode arrays

Factors causing neurological disorders can be revealed with an implantable device capable of detecting chemical and electrical imbalances. Low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine have been identified as a key reason for the involuntary tremors and muscle rigidity of Parkinson’s disease, but long-term ingestion of medicines that enhance this molecule can lead to severe side effects. Xinxia Cai at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and co-workers have fabricated a silicon-based microelectrode array for electrophysiological and dopamine detection in normal and parkinsonian monkeys, in vivo testing high-frequency stimulation method that can reduce the dosage of anti-Parkinsonian drugs. Designed with a long shank to penetrate primate brains, the probe used neurochemical recording to show that Parkinson’s disease starts when dopaminergic neurons die. This opens a way for investigating how frequency treatments stimulate natural dopamine regeneration.