Researchers at a Swiss technology institute have developed a soft, yielding and flexible material modelled on dura matter — the protective membrane of the brain and spinal cord.

The ‘e-dura’ material contains stretchy electrodes that cause less damage and inflammation — when implanted in mice, for example — than today’s rigid implants. Researchers say that the bio-compatible material could be the key to long-lasting neural theraphttp://www.machinery-market.co.uk/back/news/default.aspies.

Right now, thousands of people with Parkinson’s and epilepsy are walking around with stimulators implanted in their brains, and researchers are exploring the use of deep-brain stimulation to treat depression and other neuro-psychiatric disorders. Spinal-cord stimulation experiments have already enabled paralysed people to stand
— and may eventually get them walking.

Implants can also be used to record neural activity and control external devices like prosthetic limbs.

Stéphanie Lacour, one of the study’s lead authors and chair of neuro-prosthetic technology at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, said: “The body is a mechanically dynamic environment. The brain pulsates with blood flow, while the spinal cord stretches and relaxes with daily movements, so an implant with a similar mechanical behaviour to the neural tissue will provide a more suitable interface than a non-elastic
implant.”