Remote Control of Brain Circuits With Infrared Light!

Researchers from Stanford University have developed a first-responder technique to control targeted brain circuits that treat animals from a distance.

According to the study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the new technique is based on an optogenetics that insert light-sensitive algae proteins into neurons so they can turn them on and off in response to different colors.

The tool has the potential to solve one of the greatest unmet needs in neuroscience by providing a way to flexibly test the functions of certain brain cells and circuits deep in the brain during normal behavior, such as mice socializing freely with each other.

This approach, for the first time, makes it possible to modulate certain neurons and circuits in animals that behave freely.

#brain #neurology #infrared

Study Details: Wu X, et al. Tether-free photothermal deep-brain stimulation in freely behaving mice via wide-field illumination in the near-infrared-II window. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-022-00862-w