A novel system and procedure for non-surgical placement of EEG electrodes in mice

Abstract The development of new efficient tools for measuring electroencephalogram (EEG) in freely moving mice is highly important in both academic and commercial research studies. EEG provides valuable information on the impact of drugs on arousal and sleep architecture, and allows for the assessment of their neuropharmacological characteristics in vivo, including central exposure and information on kinetics. It is particularly useful for the development of novel medications in the animal models of neurodegenerative diseases because these models are characterized by specific changes in the EEG pattern that gradually develop over the course of the disease. Despite EEG measurements being highly desirable in many research studies, their use is currently limited due to technical difficulties associated with time-consuming surgeries required for implanting EEG electrodes (i.e., more than a half an hour per one surgery) and a high cost of surgical materials. We recently filed a provisional patent application describing a new system and procedure for the implantation of EEG electrodes in mice that can be performed within a few minutes. This procedure is considered non-surgical because it is minimally invasive and does not involve cutting. In this project, will enhance the key features of the system to enable a larger set of research applications and start disseminating our products in research laboratories. Our ultimate goal is to provide user-friendly tools for recording and analyzing EEG in freely moving mice that will both benefit the welfare of research animals and allow neuroscientists completing research projects faster and with a lower cost.