Chronic electrode-brain interface modeled with FEM

The recording properties of silicon-substrate chronic neuroprobes tend to degrade over time. Passing current through the site sometimes restores the recording ability. A 3D current flow Finite Element Model (FEM) was constructed to simulate the current flow from the site during the rejuvenation process. The simulation suggests that the injected current path does not coincide with current flow from the cell to the recording site. This explains why lowering the probe impedance by current injection does not necessarily restore chronic recording ability.