Large-Scale Integrated Organic Electronics for Epilepsy

Analysis of neurophysiological signals is a cornerstone of epilepsy diagnosis and therapy. Deriving more usable information from neurophysiologic methods by increasing the scale and precision of recordings could benefit care of these patients, but current approaches to such monitoring are hampered by a trade-off of resolution and invasiveness. Leveraging the conformability and volumetric capacitance of organic and mixed-conducting materials, we have created devices including transducers, ion-gated transistors, particulate composites and ion-based communication systems that permit high spatiotemporal resolution interaction with <i>in vivo</i> neural networks. These devices enabled us to identify novel network properties in epilepsy models that are amenable to targeted therapeutic interventions. Such studies have set the foundation for translation of these devices in human subjects, where we have characterized cortical microcircuits in patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures. Our results highlight the unique potential for organic integrated electronics to safely enhance our ability to acquire, interpret, and modify neural signals, with the goal of facilitating discovery of biomarkers and therapies for patients with epilepsy and other neurological disorders.