Preparation of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Electrodes for Chronic Implantation in Rats.

Peripheral nerve cuff electrodes have long been used in the neurosciences and related fields for stimulation of, for example, vagus or sciatic nerves. Several recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of chronic VNS in enhancing central nervous system plasticity to improve motor rehabilitation, extinction learning, and sensory discrimination. Construction of chronically implantable devices for use in such studies is challenging due to rats' small size, and typical protocols require extensive training of personnel and time-consuming microfabrication methods.