Biofeedback electrostimulation for bionic and long-lasting neural modulation

Invasive electrical stimulation (IES) is prone to cause neural stimulus-inertia due to excessive accumulation of exogenous charges, leading to side effects and nerve regeneration failure. This study presents a wearable neural IES system for bionic and long-lasting neural modulation, automatically generating biomimetic pulsed electrical signals driven by respiratory motion. These signals provide biofeedback to respiratory behaviors, self-adjusting to different physiological states and modulating voltage-gated calcium channels. Cellular and animal experiments confirm effective elimination of neural stimulus-inertia, achieving unprecedented nerve regeneration and motor functional reconstruction in long-segmental peripheral nerve defects, comparable to autograft. This system offers an advanced platform to overcome neural stimulus-inertia and provides avenues for personalized IES therapy.

Fei Jin, Tong Li, Zhidong Wei, Ruiying Xiong, Lili Qian, Juan Ma, Tao Yuan, Qi Wu, Chengteng Lai, Xiying Ma, Fuyi Wang, Ying Zhao, Fengyu Sun, Ting Wang, Zhang-Qi Feng