Neuromodulation: Selected approaches and challenges

Neuromodulation is a multidisciplinary effort to correct faulty neural networks that arise in various pathological states. This involves persuading a suboptimally-performing nervous system to abandon counter-productive habits and resume a productive state. Achieving this requires comprehensive knowledge of neuroscience, including neurons and glia in both healthy and diseased states, and understanding of electrical and chemical communication within the nervous system. The review discusses selected approaches in neuromodulation, including the use of carbon nanotubes, computational biology, desynchronization techniques for brain stimulation, and devices for real-time measurement of neurotransmitters.

• 1
  Water-dispersible carbon nanotubes can modulate neurite outgrowth in culture and aid regeneration after spinal cord injury in vivo.
• 2
  Computational biology and analytical engineering can reveal geometrical mapping of dynamics within neural networks, crucial for stimulation interventions.
• 3
  Sophisticated desynchronization approaches have been successful in coaxing misfiring neuronal circuits to resume productive firing patterns in human disorders.