Now is the Critical Time for Engineered Neuroplasticity

Engineered biodevices are demonstrating the potential to create long-term changes in neural circuits, termed neuroplasticity. The approach of engineering neuroplasticity is rapidly expanding, building on recent demonstrations of improved quality of life for people with movement disorders, epilepsy, and spinal cord injury. Discovering the fundamental mechanisms of engineered neuroplasticity by leveraging anatomically well-documented systems like the spinal cord is likely to provide powerful insights into solutions for other neurotraumas.

• 1
  Neural devices operating in a closed-loop, activity-dependent paradigm can powerfully influence neural circuits, leading to long-term rewiring of neural circuits that outlasts stimulation.
• 2
  Engineered plasticity can both strengthen and weaken natural synaptic connections, providing a platform for treating spinal cord injury by enhancing connections or reducing overactive pathways.
• 3
  Pairing neural stimulation devices with natural activity or motor retraining leads to improved function after spinal cord injury, with some participants retaining function even after stimulation is discontinued.