| The ability to record and stimulate from a neural electrode in a chronic model has been a goal that has eluded neuroscientists for some time. This technology would expand the neuroscience knowledge base by allowing for the long-term study of the behavior of individual, as well as groups of neurons, and potentially open the door for a variety of treatments for neurological disorders and diseases. In the past few years, advances in micro-fabrication techniques have led to the advent of microelectrode technology that is both reliable and mass producible. The primary obstacle to further advancement of this technology is the inability to maintain a viable, long-term, chronic interface between the implant and the surrounding neural architecture. One of the potential causes of this is the inflammatory response to implanted microelectrodes that forms a barrier between functional nervous tissue and the implant. Thus, it is imperative that the inflammatory response to an electrode not only be understood, but also controlled, so that a long-term neural implant can be maintained.; The specific aim of the research was to develop methods for quantitatively measuring the neuroinflammatory response as a means to evaluate chronically implanted microelectrodes. First, techniques were developed to consistently image a microelectrode and the neuroinflammatory response in its native environment using confocal microscopy. Second, a model for quantitative volume measurement based on confocal microscopy was established. Finally, these analysis techniques were implemented to evaluate chemically-modified neural electrodes in vivo. The results of this study demonstrate that the amalgamation of advanced immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, sophisticated image processing techniques, and chemical modification to surfaces provides a valuable tool for the evaluation of the inflammatory response to a neural implant. |
