Recording a Cortical Signal from a Laboratory Mouse Brain Using Electrodes Based on an Electrically Conductive Hydrogel

Recording the activity of brain neurons opens up many possibilities for both diagnosing diseases and expanding human capabilities. Classic metal electrodes are inevitably rejected by nervous tissue due to their physical properties, and hence have a number of significant limitations in use. Hydrogels may be more suitable materials for this role, since they make it relatively easy to achieve the required properties by simply combining different polymers. This work presents an electrically conductive hydrogel based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), carrageenan (CRG), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which has already proven itself as a stable and biocompatible material. This series of experiments on C57Bl/6 mice demonstrates its feasibility as an electrocorticography electrode.