Implanted Sensor Could Provide Clues to Brain Chemistry

February 17, 2010 | Source: Technology Review

Release of dopamine (lower green and purple band) and adenosine (upper green and purple band) chemical messengers (Kendall H. Lee, MD, PhD, director of Mayo Neural Engineering Laboratories, and Kevin Bennet, Chair of Mayo Division of Engineering)

An implantable sensor designed to detect the release of dopamine and adenosine could help scientists measure the impact of deep brain stimulation and perhaps provide a way to enhance the effectiveness of the treatment for Parkinson’s and other disorders.

The device consists of a custom-designed sensor electrode that is implanted along with the stimulating electrode, a microprocessor, a Bluetooth module to send data to a computer, and a battery.