Wireless deep brain stimulation with magnetoelectric nanoparticle-based neuromodulation approach

Manipulating neuronal activity in the central nervous system through electrical stimulation is crucial for the clinical treatment of neurological disorders and for basic neuroscience research. Traditional electrode implantations might carry the risk of complications, infection, and damage caused by micromovements during daily activities. Recently, accumulating research has been focusing on developing neuromodulation technologies with less invasiveness. Multiple magnetoelectric stimulation approaches based on magnetoelectrical nanoparticles have been developed in the last decade. However, the requirement of alternating magnetic field (AMF) at low intensity with high frequency or high intensity with low frequency limits the scale of magnetic apparatus, which cannot be further adapted into behavioral experiments, larger animals or future clinical treatments. Moreover, the temporal precision of stimulation in the previous studies is longer than one second. In response, our study introduces an innovative wireless magnetoelectrical neuromodulation technique with millisecond-scale temporal precision by using a low-frequency and low-intensity magnetic field. We demonstrate that magnetoelectrical stimulation can effectively induce neuronal activity within cultured hippocampal neurons in vitro. Subsequently, we optimize the stimulated parameters to maximize neural activation effects. Our optimized magnetoelectrical stimulation can also significantly enhance neuronal responses in freely moving mice in vivo. Moreover, we are able to fine-tune brain oscillations to a precise frequency. In conclusion, we have developed a magnetoelectric stimulation technique that can modulate neuronal activity in vitro and in vivo with millisecond-scale temporal precision. This transgene-free magnetoelectric stimulation approach can broaden its application in both basic neuroscience research and potential clinical settings.