A versatile system for neuromuscular stimulation and recording in the mouse model using a lightweight magnetically coupled headmount

Abstract

Neural stimulation and recording in rodents are common methods to better understand the nervous system and improve the quality of life of individuals who are suffering from neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy), as well as for permanent reduction of chronic pain in patients with neuropathic pain and spinal-cord injury. This method requires a neural interface (e.g., a headmount) to couple the implanted neural device with instrumentation system. The size and the total weight of such headmounts should be designed in a way to minimize its effect on the movement of the animal. This is a crucial factor in gait, kinematic, and behavioral neuroscience studies of freely moving mice. Here we introduce a lightweight snap-in electro-magnetic headmount that is extremely small, and uses strong neodymium magnetics to enable a reliable connection without sacrificing the lightweight of the device. Additionally, the headmount requires minimal surgical intervention during the implantation, resulting in minimal tissue damage. The device has demonstrated itself to be robust, and successfully provided direct electrical stimulation of nerve and electrical muscle stimulation and recording, as well as powering implanted LEDs for optogenetic use scenarios.