Researchers at Pitt have developed a novel electrochemical sensor that can directly measure both tonic (resting) and phasic (transient) dopamine signaling in the brain with high spatial and temporal resolution. This represents a significant advancement in the field of neuroscience research.
Description
Dopamine is a critical neurotransmitter involved in a variety of vital functions, and its signaling occurs over multiple timescales. Accurately detecting both tonic and phasic dopamine has been a long-standing challenge. The researchers have developed a PEDOT (poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene))-based nanocomposite coating that can be applied to neural recording probes to enable sensitive and selective detection of dopamine.
Applications
Dopamine signaling detection
Advantages
This technology presents a significant advancement in the field of electrochemical detection of dopamine signaling in the brain. The novel PEDOT/fCNT-coated electrode platform provides significantly improved spatial and temporal resolution for quantifying both tonic and phasic dopamine levels, addressing a long-standing need in neuroscience research. The ability to simultaneously detect both types of dopamine signaling will provide unprecedented insights into the spatio-temporal dynamics of dopamine neurotransmission, with great potential for widespread use and commercialization in the field of neural recording technologies.
Invention Readiness
This technology is at the level of in vivo data. The researchers demonstrate that the PEDOT/functionalized carbon nanotube (PEDOT/fCNT) coating significantly decreases the electrode impedance and transforms previously dopamine-insensitive gold electrode sites into highly sensitive dopamine recording sites. These PEDOT/fCNT-coated neural probes can directly measure resting tonic dopamine levels using square wave voltammetry, with high sensitivity and selectivity over common neurochemical interferents. Experiments in the rat dorsal striatum showed the ability to quantify basal dopamine concentrations as well as location-specific changes in tonic dopamine upon administration of a dopamine transporter inhibitor.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US11445946B2
