Abstract
Based on electrophysiological activity, neuroprostheses can effectively monitor and control neural activity. Currently, electrophysiological neuroprostheses are widely utilized in treating neurological disorders, particularly in restoring motor, visual, auditory, and somatosensory functions after nervous system injuries. They also help alleviate inflammation, regulate blood pressure, provide analgesia, and treat conditions such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, offering significant research, economic, and social value. Enhancing the targeting capabilities of neuroprostheses remains a key objective for researchers. Modeling and simulation techniques facilitate the theoretical analysis of interactions between neuroprostheses and the nervous system, allowing for quantitative assessments of targeting efficiency. Throughout the development of neuroprostheses, these modeling and simulation methods can save time, materials, and labor costs, thereby accelerating the rapid development of highly targeted neuroprostheses. This article introduces the fundamental principles of neuroprosthesis simulation technology and reviews how various simulation techniques assist in the design and performance enhancement of neuroprostheses. Finally, it discusses the limitations of modeling and simulation and outlines future directions for utilizing these approaches to guide neuroprosthesis design.
1 Introduction
1.1 Enhancing neuroprosthesis development through simulation techniques
The human nervous system supports cognitive functions such as cognition, decision-making, and consciousness (Yuste, 2015; Qi et al., 2019; Zhu et al., 2020). Neurological damage often permanently impairs physiological functions—such as causing paralysis following spinal cord injury or impairing speech and motor functions after a stroke—with these disabilities persisting throughout the patient’s lifetime, self-repair is essentially impossible. In theory, interventions such as rehabilitation () and nutrient injections, polymer scaffold or stem cells into affected areas (; ; ) may induce some degree of neural regeneration; however, these approaches remain largely experimental and have not demonstrated robust effectiveness in clinical applications.
Electrophysiological-based neuroprostheses offer a direct means to reconstruct damaged nervous systems and facilitate the restoration of neural functions through human-machine symbiosis (; ; Zhanhong Du et al., 2020; ). Typically employing neural interfaces (Vakilipour and Fekrvand, 2024), these devices encode and decode neural electrical signals, enabling interaction between external electronic systems and the nervous system (; ; ). The effectiveness of neuroprostheses hinges not on the regeneration and repair of neural tissue but on their design, which should prioritize minimal invasiveness, high efficiency, and biological safety. These criteria define the future trajectory for the development of neuroprostheses.
Modeling and simulation can guide the design of neuroprostheses in two main ways. Figure 1 illustrates the specific processes by which modeling and simulation technologies accelerate the development of neural electrodes. Firstly, through numerical calculations, modeling and simulation can simulate the interaction between neuroprostheses of various shapes and implantation sites with the nervous system (; Song E. M. et al., 2020; ; ). During the simulation process, the design can be optimized to minimize invasiveness while maximizing the information collected and input by the neuroprosthesis (). Additionally, using modeling and simulation technologies provides a virtual environment for electrode implantation testing, which reduces the number of iterations from design to in vivo validation and shortens the development cycle of neuroprostheses.
FIGURE 1
2 Neuroprosthesis simulation model
2.1 Building simulation models from real physiological structures
The neuroprosthetic interaction model with neurons in biological tissues and systems comprises three primary components: the neuroprosthesis itself, the physiological environment, and the neurons. Each of these components requires individual modeling before integration into a cohesive framework. Figure 2 provides a brief process flow from the physical object to the modeling and simulation of neural electrodes and tissues. The modeling process is structured into five hierarchical levels:
FIGURE 2

Process for establishing and simulating a model of interaction between neural electrodes and the nervous system. The image in (A) (Settell et al., 2020;
Organ Level: This foundational level involves defining the geometry of the electrode implantation site, its relationship with the target organ, and the morphology of surrounding physiological tissues, including the brain’s surface, dura mater, cerebrospinal fluid, bones, muscles, and fat. Tools such as CT scans (Thompson et al., 2020;
The second level is the tissue level, where the conductivity and relative permittivity of the electrodes and each tissue need to be determined. Some tissues, such as white matter, have large anisotropy in their conductivity and relative permittivity, which should ideally be reflected in the model’s physical parameter settings during the modeling process.
The third level is the cell group level. Taking peripheral nerve modeling as an example, the data that need to be determined are the types of nerve fibers within each nerve bundle, the percentage of each type of fiber and its distribution location, the orientation of the different nerve fibers, the types of signals transmitted, and the peripheral nerves and target organs (e.g., spinal epidural stimulation model) among the need to quantify the control of muscle contraction by spinal epidural electrical stimulation through the percentage of activated nerve types, and the target organs that are controlled by the nerves (
Electromagnetic field finite element models are commonly used for modeling organs, tissues, and implanted neuroprostheses. Given that the frequency of electrical stimulation and neuronal firing rates generally do not exceed 50 kHz, electromagnetic induction effects are typically negligible. Therefore, models commonly utilize an electro-quasistatic field, which excludes magnetic effects (Steinmetz et al., 2006;
The fourth level is the neuron level, where the structure of neurons needs to be specified. The modeling of peripheral nerves only needs to consider the structure of the axon, such as the positional distribution of Longfellow’s node, its length, diameter, and the passive impedance properties of the cell membrane. Cellular modeling of the central nervous system is much more complex because the neural skeleton and shape are more sophisticated. In the CNS, it is necessary to reconstruct the skeleton (
The fifth level is the ion channel level, where the types of ion channels on the axon and the kinetic equations for each channel must be clarified. In addition, the density of the distribution of ion channels on each subcellular unit of the neuron and the differences in the distribution of ion channels at different locations (e.g., Rumphius node, axon initial segment, dendrites, and nerve endings), resulting in different membrane dynamics in different subcellular units, also need to be clarified (
Neuronal models typically fall into two categories: those based on the Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model, known as MRG (McIntyre-Richard-Grill) models, and those constructed using the finite element method. Both types involve simplifications of the actual neuronal structures. Figure 3 shows the simplification process of the three-dimensional structure of a neuron into the MRG model and the neuron finite element model in terms of structure.
FIGURE 3

From the neuron morphological model (B) to the neuron MRG model [(A) (
Electrophysiological modeling of neuron is a critical step in developing a simulation model for the interaction with the nervous system after a neuroprosthesis has been implanted. The MRG model views neurons as one-dimensional cables, with their internal and external environments modeled as series-connected resistors (
Myelin, produced by oligodendrocytes, wraps around neuron axons and plays a crucial role in enhancing the speed and fidelity of action potential conduction. In the MRG model, myelin is represented as a series resistor with low conductivity. The finite element model, however, treats it as a material with high resistivity, modeling action potentials as propagating in jumps through myelinated segments, with significant weakening in regions without ion channels. In a 2019 study, it was confirmed that the longitudinal conduction pathway in the sub-myelin region assumes an essential role in reproducing the spatiotemporal distribution of action potentials by modeling in comparison with membrane clamps and optical recordings (
2.2 Mainstream simulation frameworks and their application scenarios
Currently, a diverse array of simulation frameworks is utilized to guide the design of neuroprostheses by simulating interactions with neurons within biological tissues. These frameworks generally fall into two categories: hybrid models (Romeni et al., 2020) and comprehensive finite element models (
TABLE 1
| Neuron MRG Model | Neuron Finite Element Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Applicability | Suitable for one-dimensional axons and simple structures | Suitable for any complex structure |
| Accuracy | High accuracy for one-dimensional problems | High accuracy, affected by mesh quality |
| Computational Efficiency | Low computational cost, high efficiency | High computational cost, low efficiency |
| Implementation Difficulty | Simple model, easy to implement | Complex model, requires professional software support |
| Spatial Heterogeneity | Difficult to handle | Can be easily handled |
| Extensibility | Difficult to extend to complex geometries | Easy to extend, highly adaptable |
Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages between the MRG neuron model and the finite element neuron model.
Hybrid models combine finite element methods to simulate electrical conduction within physiological tissues under stimulation. They compute voltage at each spatiotemporal point, which is subsequently fed into a neuron cable model. This model predicts the potential generation of action potentials by neurons. It’s important to note that this simulation process is unidirectional, meaning it does not consider the feedback effects of neuron-generated action potentials on the surrounding tissues. Additionally, the neuron cable model in hybrid frameworks is essentially one-dimensional, which could restrict its ability to predict neurons' real-time behavior under electrical stimulation accurately. The neuron’s finite element model can establish more realistic models of myelinated or unmyelinated neurons. These models are established in the simulation process along with the extracellular tissue space and the neuroprosthesis using the same physical field, so they can inherently be coupled together, simulating the real-time interaction between the neuron and its surrounding microenvironment. Additionally, they can provide a detailed description of the occurrence, conduction, and extinction of action potentials on the three-dimensional surface occupied by the neuron’s cell membrane, displaying many characteristics not possessed by the neuron’s MRG model, such as describing the transmembrane diffusion of various ions during an action potential and some subtle waveform changes during the action potential generation process.
Despite these constraints, hybrid models are widely used for predicting neural behavior under electrical stimulation and the changes in the electrical field triggered by neural activity. They are applied in various settings, including peripheral nerve stimulation (Raspopovic et al., 2017), epidural spinal stimulation (
In practice, several well-established modeling and simulation systems support neuroprosthetic development. For instance, Sim4Life (
3 Neural interface simulation applications
According to their invasiveness, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can be categorized into three types: invasive, partially invasive, and non-invasive (Vakilipour and Fekrvand, 2024). Invasive BCIs are directly embedded in the cortex during neurosurgical procedures, allowing for the monitoring of individual neuronal activity. Partially invasive brain interfaces use electrocorticography, which involves electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings made with intracranial subdural or depth electrodes. Smaller surgical openings in the brain significantly reduce their invasiveness (Vakani and Nair, 2019) Non-invasive BCIs utilize external detectors rather than brain implants, thus eliminating the need for surgical intervention. To mitigate the long-term damage associated with invasive neural interfaces, flexible BCIs are becoming a focal point of research (
3.1 Brain-machine interface
3.1.1 Quantitative analysis of extracellular action potentials
Invasive brain-machine interfaces, by implanting electrodes within the cortex, can directly record single neural action potentials (pulses), providing the largest amount of decoded information among brain-machine interfaces. Figure 4A shows the implantation of a cortical electrode. Most invasive brain-machine interfaces are based on high-density rigid silicon electrodes like blackarray and neuropixel, and have been widely used in neuroscience research such as decoding motor intentions, cortical microstimulation, and language decoding. Flexible, high-density invasive electrodes represent the next-generation of invasive neural interfaces. Compared to rigid silicon electrode arrays, flexible electrodes cause less damage to neural tissue due to displacement after implantation, and many brain grooves and gyri, which were previously difficult to implant with rigid neural interfaces, can now be implanted with flexible electrodes. Currently, neurolink has implanted multi-site flexible electrodes in multiple volunteers, and some volunteers have been able to play very popular games like Civilization VI and Mario Kart 8 (https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/watch-elon-musks-first-neuralink-patient-play-mario-kart-with-his-mind-3610693) through the brain-machine interface, although there have also been reports of electrode dislodgement risks.
FIGURE 4

(A) high-density electrode array implanting in the cerebral cortex (Salas et al., 2018). (B) Artificial pyramidal neuron, from multi-compartment model to circuit model (Yi et al., 2017). (C) Mathematical model of cerebral cortex cells, including neuron types, spatial arrangement characteristics. (D) The proportion of action potential generated by activation of axons and cell bodies of different diameter under different cortical microstimulation amplitude (
The reason why invasive brain-machine interfaces extract a greater amount of brain activity information than cortical electrodes (ecog) and EEG is that invasive brain-machine interfaces can record the extracellular electric field changes induced by the firing of neural action potentials. Currently, there are no robust methods to achieve intracellular recordings of neurons in vivo. Even high-resolution neural electrode arrays with front-end amplifiers like neuropixel can only record extracellular action potentials, but recording single neurons' in vivo activity can be used to analyze neural microcircuits (
3.1.2 Accurate prediction of action potential activation by cortical microstimulation
Cortical microstimulation generally uses rigid, high-density silicon electrode arrays implanted into the cortex to stimulate and activate neurons. Cortical microstimulation is commonly used to restore sensation by precisely applying electrical stimulation in time and space by implanting cortical microstimulation electrodes into the sensory cortex, simulating real sensory-induced cortical activity. Cortical microstimulation electrodes combined with automatic control systems, somatosensory encoding and decoding systems, and mechanical arms connected to tactile sensors can achieve bionic tactile mechanical arm control. A research team represented by the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated in a study published in 2013 on macaques through cognitive neuroscience experiments that tactile restoration using a cortical microstimulation brain-machine interface with a prosthetic hand is feasible (Tabot et al., 2013). A study published in 2016 confirmed that this strategy is also feasible in humans (
3.2 Epidural spinal nerve interface
The research team led by Grégoire Courtine at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne has achieved breakthroughs in the field of motor recovery using epidural paddle electrodes from rodents to primates to humans over the past decade. By implanting paddle electrodes in the epidural space of the spinal cord and applying electrical stimulation at certain frequencies and intensities to the spinal dorsal roots, the central pattern generators in the spinal cord can be activated to restore the patient’s motor function. In 2018, spinal cord injury patients needed several months of practice combined with assistive standing systems to complete walking activities after implanting spinal epidural electrodes (Wagner et al., 2018). In 2022, researchers increased the active sites of epidural electrodes, updated the encoding method, and used modeling to customize the design of the electrodes, greatly improving the targeting of epidural electrical stimulation. This allowed the electrodes to activate specific sensory nerves in a single dorsal root more concentratedly, ultimately enabling implanted electrode patients to complete standing, stepping, and pedaling special bicycles and other rhythmic walking activities within a few days. In 2016, the research team established a combined recovery system of motor cortex brain-machine interface and spinal epidural electrical stimulation on a spinal transected macaque (
The spinal epidural electrode stimulation system can also be applied to upper limb motor function recovery. In 2022, the research team studied spinal epidural electrical stimulation recovery of upper limb motor function. They implanted customized electrodes in the partially transected (20%–40%) cervical spinal cord of macaques at the C5-C6 segments. By guiding the control of the active site targets of the electrodes through simulation, they demonstrated that specific forms of electrical stimulation could significantly enhance the efficiency of spinal cord injury macaques in grasping objects, proving the feasibility of epidural stimulation in restoring upper limb motor ability (
The team led by Grégoire Courtine extensively uses hybrid model simulation of dorsal root neuron activation under electrical stimulation to quantify epidural spinal stimulation (
FIGURE 5

(A) Finite element simulation of lumbar spinal epidural electrical stimulation (
3.3 Low invasive neuroelectrode prosthesis
The more stimulation sites, the higher the degree of invasiveness, and the stronger the targeting of activation, but this may also bring more serious biocompatibility and long-term stability issues (
By improving the structure and substrate materials of the electrodes, the biocompatibility of the electrodes can be enhanced (Raspopovic et al., 2021). First, the structural mechanical properties of the electrodes need to match the implantation location (
Besides improving electrode manufacturing materials, low-invasiveness electrodes can also be enhanced in targeting through modeling as shown in Figure 6C (Wessel et al., 2023). In a study published in 2023, using temporal coherence stimulation and modeling simulation-assisted multi-electrode site cooperative action, effective stimulation of the sublingual nerve was achieved with low-intensity stimulation using electrodes fitted to the neck (
FIGURE 6

(A) Multi-electrode synergy enables non-invasive, non-destructive spinal stimulation in feline simulation models, with experimental validation confirming simulation reliability (Williams et al., 2022). (B) Temporal coherence stimulation demonstrate activation of deep brain neurons using extracranial electrodes, with experimental validation confirming simulation reliability (
3.4 Peripheral nerve prostheses
Peripheral nerves are composed of bundles of nerve fibers and the epineurium that wraps these bundles. A nerve may contain multiple nerve bundles, each enveloped by a perineurium, with the epineurium wrapping multiple nerve bundles to form a peripheral nerve. Each nerve bundle contains multiple types of nerve fibers that can transmit ascending sensory or descending motor nerve signals. Different nerve bundles in a nerve may innervate and sense different organs, such as different muscles. To restore tactile sensation, electrical stimulation electrodes can be implanted on the outside or inside of a nerve. The degree of targeting achieved by the electrodes determines the precision of sensory restoration (Romeni et al., 2020).
Peripheral nerve electrodes come in various shapes, as shown in common implantation electrode diagrams (Sha et al., 2023; Sha and Du, 2024). Cuff electrodes (
Electrical stimulation simulation modeling can simulate the activation of nerve fibers by different electrode morphologies and can predict electrode morphology, electrode site arrangement, electrode implantation position, and electrical stimulation method in advance, thus providing a more rational way to design peripheral nerve electrodes. Depending on the implantation location, peripheral nerve interfaces are divided into nerve prostheses, autonomic nervous system nerve interfaces, and dorsal root ganglion interfaces, each with different application scenarios.
3.4.1 Sensory-motor nerve prostheses
Peripheral sensory-motor nerve prostheses, also known as nerve prostheses, are advanced devices specially designed to restore the motor functions of amputees. Amputation directly affects the body’s motor ability, and wearing traditional prostheses cannot restore the perception of tactile sensation and the state of the prosthesis. This sensory loss affects the patient’s motor efficiency and accuracy. Nerve prostheses take into account the importance of somatosensory sensation, using feedback stimulation to reshape somatosensory sensation by stimulating residual peripheral nerves, thus providing more precise and natural motor control. Since the forms of amputation are diverse, nerve prostheses need to be personalized for different patients to adapt to their specific injury conditions. Specifically, the human motor system contains complex feedforward and feedback processing mechanisms: the motor center not only provides motor commands but also relies on various feedback information provided by the limbs, such as tactile and proprioceptive somatosensory sensations (
Usually, amputees retain some muscles at the amputation site, and electromyography can read the state of these muscles, such as electromyography electrodes in an eight-shape, which can be used as motor commands to drive mechanical prostheses. At the same time, nerve prostheses contain sensors that detect their own state, such as surface pressure sensors and torque sensors at mechanical joints. The prosthesis control system can decode these signals into somatosensory neural stimulation signals and re-encode them into the nervous system through peripheral nervous system electrodes, achieving closed-loop control of nerve prosthesis input and output. Through continuous practice, patients wearing nerve prostheses can proficiently use mechanical arms and legs, with a smoothness far exceeding that of ordinary prostheses (
Modeling and simulation technology can be used to optimize the selectivity of implanted peripheral nerve stimulation electrodes, predicting the nerve groups that can be activated by applying specific electrical stimulation at different implantation positions, thus optimizing the electrode structure, electrode implantation position, and electrical stimulation waveform. Besides, with the help of modeling and simulation, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the principles of interaction between nerve prostheses and the nervous system, as most implantation effectiveness verifications are phenomenological and do not record whether the nerve fibers inside the nerves are effectively activated. Modeling and simulation can fill this gap, which has a driving effect on the understanding of many physiological characteristics (Raspopovic et al., 2012; Raspopovic et al., 2017; Zelechowski et al., 2020).
3.4.2 Autonomic nervous system nerve interface
In addition to the sensorimotor nerves, the peripheral nervous system contains a large number of autonomic nerves, such as the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve belonging to the parasympathetic nervous system, mediating various neurological functions such as heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, inflammation, and even directly affecting brain function. Selective electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve has been widely used in anti-inflammatory treatments, epilepsy management, heart rate regulation, and blood pressure modulation (Wang Y. et al., 2021). Currently, finding a non-invasive, high-targeting method of vagus nerve stimulation is imperative. A novel approach uses an interventional method to implant stimulation electrodes inside the common carotid artery. Since the vagus nerve and the common carotid artery are both within the carotid sheath, their spatial positions are very close, so theoretically, intravascular electrical stimulation can affect the adjacent vagus nerve (
FIGURE 7

Vagus nerve stimulation Schematic and modelin (A) schematic diagram of vagus nerve stimulation. (B) Schematic diagram of finite element modeling of vagus nerve and surrounding tissues (
3.4.3 Dorsal root ganglion nerve interface
The dorsal root ganglion is a group of nerve cells located in the intervertebral foramen of the spine, mainly containing the cell bodies of primary sensory neurons. These neurons are responsible for transmitting sensory information from the periphery to the central nervous system, including touch, pain, and temperature perception. Dorsal root ganglion stimulation has been proven to alleviate complex regional pain syndrome in some patients. Usually, the anode and cathode of the electrical stimulation electrode span the pedicle, and applying electrical stimulation at certain frequencies and intensities can activate the cell bodies or axons in the dorsal root ganglion, generating action potentials (
Since the dorsal root ganglion contains a wide variety of nerve types, such as myelinated Aα, Aβ, and Aδ fibers, and unmyelinated C fiber neurons (several subgroups), it is impossible to directly determine which type of nerve is activated by dorsal root ganglion stimulation, Figure 8A shows the implantation of a human dorsal root stimulation electrode. so the mechanism of dorsal root ganglion electrical stimulation is not yet clear. Simulation models provide an excellent platform for researching the analgesic mechanism of dorsal root ganglion electrical stimulation. Dorsal root ganglion electrical stimulation simulation models can help researchers determine which type of nerve is activated under specific forms of stimulation, Figures 8B–D show the modeling of the dorsal root tissue environment and the modeling of the nerves contained within, thus determining the mechanism by which dorsal root ganglion stimulation functions. Scott F. Lempka and others published a study in 2019 showing that computational models indicate that dorsal root ganglion stimulation in clinical stimulation scenarios drives the activity of Aβ neurons, not affecting C neurons (
FIGURE 8

(A) Diagram of dorsal root ganglion stimulation electrode implanted in foramen interbod (Sverrisdottir et al., 2020). (B) Schematic diagram of three-dimensional finite element model of dorsal root nerve stimulation (
3.5 Retinal nerve interface
Visual nerve prostheses mainly include retinal nerve prostheses and cortical visual prostheses. Research on retinal nerve prostheses has been relatively mature, having been applied for nearly half a century (
FIGURE 9

(A) Honeycomb retinal neuroprosthesis imagery (
3.6 Cochlear implant
The cochlear implant is a complex implanted hearing aid designed to help people with profound deafness or severe hearing impairment restore hearing. The device simulates the function of the cochlea, where an external sound reception facility receives sound signals, and an electronic control system re-encodes the sound signals into electrical stimulation signals, which are then used to stimulate the auditory nerve to restore hearing. Cochlear implants are the most implanted neural prostheses and are widely used in the field of restoring hearing impairments caused by middle ear damage (
An application of modeling and simulation in cochlear implants is the ability to predict the speech produced by cochlear implants. Simulation models predict the distribution of the electric field produced by electrical stimulation in the cochlea, thus guiding the design of the electrodes, the relative implantation position of the electrodes and the cochlea, and rationally conjecturing how to coordinate the stimulation voltage and waveform at multiple sites to produce more accurate sounds. Finite element modeling of cochlear implants was proposed in the 1990s (
FIGURE 10

(A) Reconstruction of the cochlea’s 3D model using actual CT data (
Cochlear finite element model simulation can also guide the optimal implantation position of cochlear implants. In the implantation of cochlear implants, both the depth of insertion and the proximity of the electrode to the cochlear wall affect safety and cochlear implant performance. In a 2022 study, Enver Salkim and others analyzed the impedance changes at different positions during the electrode implantation process through a parameterized cochlear implant model (Salkim et al., 2022), establishing the relationship between impedance changes and the process of the electrode approaching the cochlear wall during insertion. This may have clinical value for assessing electrode positioning.
4 Discussion
4.1 Conclusion
Today, neurophysiological modeling and simulation technology have provided significant support for the design and implantation of various neural prostheses, accelerating the development of neural prostheses and providing theoretical guidance for effective interactions between various neural prostheses and the nervous system. Especially using modeling technology, more refined stimulation control can be assisted, gradually replacing high-invasive electrodes with lower-invasive electrodes, multi-channel, and temporal coherence stimulation methods.
4.2 Enhancing model prediction accuracy
However, simulation models cannot perfectly predict the interaction between electrodes and tissues. The main reason is the model’s simplification of the dielectric properties of physiological tissues and the simplification of neuron modeling, resulting in differences between model simulation predictions and actual experimental results.
Specifically, the simplification of the dielectric properties of physiological tissues mainly comes from the following points: first, the neglect and simplification of tissue boundaries, treating them as a single tissue type and ignoring the differences in their conductivity and permittivity. Second, the simplification of the existence of small tissues, such as many small tissues like blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, which are ignored in the modeling process. Third, the simplification of the tensor parameters of tissue conductivity and permittivity. In reality, the conductivity and permittivity of each position in each tissue are anisotropic, especially for tissues like white matter. Due to the presence of nerve fiber bundles, the conductivity and permittivity of the tissue vary greatly depending on whether it is parallel or perpendicular to the direction of the fiber bundles. Theoretically, an accurate description requires defining the conductivity and permittivity tensor of the tissue occupying space at each position, but to reduce the modeling difficulty, the anisotropic conductive and dielectric properties of the tissue are generally ignored. For example, when establishing a model of brain white matter, the anisotropic conductivity of the brain white matter occupying space is not set according to the direction of the fiber bundles, but the tissue is treated as an isotropic conductor. The simplification of the model has the following reasons: one is to reduce the modeling complexity and the difficulty of model simulation; the other is because there is no non-invasive high-resolution method to obtain the information needed to establish a complex model. With the development of various non-invasive high-resolution imaging techniques such as micro-CT, micro-MRI, and micro-US, these imaging techniques can provide richer information, which will undoubtedly promote the progress of modeling and simulation. Additionally, with the development of the field of computer vision, many tissue three-dimensional reconstruction programs are gradually becoming simpler, which will also simplify the tedious procedures in the modeling process. At the same time, the annual improvement in computer computing power also supports the simulation of larger-scale, higher-complexity models, so there is reason to believe that the accuracy of modeling and simulation will rapidly increase.
The finite element model of neurons is more accurate than the MRG model. Computational complexity and modeling process difficulty limit the application of the neuron’s finite element model. In addition, the inertia of using the neuron multi-compartment model for a long time also indirectly limits the popularity of the neuron’s finite element model. At present, computer computing power has reached a very high level, and some relatively complex neuron finite element models can also be solved relatively quickly, but because there are too many program environments and literature environments supporting the neuron MRG model, and much less support for the neuron finite element model, most researchers will not choose to use the neuron’s finite element model for neurophysiological simulation. Besides, establishing a neuron’s finite element model requires constructing a watertight three-dimensional structure of the neuron, which is relatively simple for peripheral nervous system neurons, which basically have no branching, but much more difficult for complex-shaped central neurons. This is because there is a lack of sufficient data to support the reconstruction of the complex irregular surfaces of neurons, and reconstructing the entire neuron’s complex irregular surface itself requires support from high-performance image processing equipment. At present, with the development of cross-scale imaging technology, many studies provide more abundant raw data needed for neuronal shape reconstruction. In the future, more open-source datasets of neuronal structures will become available, offering increasingly precise and detailed information on neuron morphology. Additionally, new algorithms and software solutions will emerge to facilitate the conversion of neuronal skeletons into watertight models, making finite element modeling of neurons simpler and more accessible. With improvements in computational power, along with advancements in neuronal datasets and reconstruction algorithms, the use of finite element models—offering more accurate neuronal representations—will become increasingly widespread.
4.3 Enhancing the usability of models
In the future, the simulation and modeling of neural electrodes are expected to become standard practices in clinical electrode implantation and design. However, the widespread adoption of these processes is currently hindered by the high technical barriers of simulation modeling, limiting its use. This is because effective simulation modeling requires not only a solid background in biology but also proficiency in mathematics, physics, computer science, mastery of one or more programming languages, and the ability to use various automated or semi-automated tools for image segmentation and 3D modeling. Most clinicians and neuroscientists, due to their lack of expertise in these areas, struggle to independently build simulation models to predict or guide electrode development and clinical applications. There is an urgent need for the development of an open-source, visually guided, non-programming-based modeling method. Current open-source modeling processes are mostly programming-based, and only a few models offer graphical interfaces. Many of these tools are not fully open-source, and some modules are costly. In the future, modeling and simulation tools must reduce technical barriers and become more user-friendly, especially for non-programmer users such as clinicians and neuroscientists who require neural prosthetics. The following suggestions can help achieve this goal. (1) Develop a graphical user interface: Create an intuitive interface that allows users to build and simulate models through visual methods, without the need for complex programming knowledge. (2) Integrate artificial intelligence: Use AI algorithms to automatically optimize simulation parameters, reducing manual input. AI could also offer interactive features, allowing users to guide the model framework through language, refining simulation details. (3) Provide educational resources: Develop clear online tutorials and documentation to help users learn how to utilize these tools. (4) Modular design: Enable users to customize model components based on their needs, streamlining the modeling process. (5) Promote open-source protocols: Adopt an open-source software model, encouraging global developers to contribute to the improvement and updating of these tools. Through these methods, neural electrode modeling and simulation tools will become more user-friendly, facilitating the broader adoption of clinical electrode implantation and advancing research in electrode development.
Statements
Author contributions
ShY: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing, Data curation, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Conceptualization. SiY: Writing–review and editing, Writing–original draft. PL: Writing–review and editing, Writing–original draft. SG: Writing–original draft, Writing–review and editing. YC: Writing–review and editing. QJ: Writing–review and editing, Visualization, Methodology. ZD: Funding acquisition, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Visualization, Writing–review and editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by Scientific and Technological Innovation 2030 Key Project (2022ZD0209800), Natural Science Foundation of China Grants (31930047), National Key R&D Program of China (2020YFC2008503), the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Science (XDB32030103), National Special Support Grant (W02020453), NSFC-Guangdong Joint Fund (U20A6005), Key- Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province (2018B030331001 and 2018B030338001), Shenzhen Infrastructure for Brain Analysis and Modeling (ZDKJ20190204002).
Acknowledgments
The polishing of the text in this article was assisted by the GPT-4o tool provided by OpenAI. We appreciate the support of the large language model in the writing process. Thank the researchers and research teams for the images cited in the article.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
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Summary
Keywords
neuroprosthesis, neural electrode, finite element model, neuron simulation, neuroprosthesis simulation
Citation
Yang S, Yang S, Li P, Gou S, Cheng Y, Jia Q and Du Z (2024) Advanced neuroprosthetic electrode design optimized by electromagnetic finite element simulation: innovations and applications. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 12:1476447. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1476447
Received
05 August 2024
Accepted
21 October 2024
Published
06 November 2024
Volume
12 - 2024
Edited by
Nsikak U. Benson, Topfaith University, Nigeria
Reviewed by
Ilya Pyatnitskiy, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
Bowen Ji, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China
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Copyright
© 2024 Yang, Yang, Li, Gou, Cheng, Jia and Du.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Zhanhong Du, zh.du@siat.ac.cn
†These authors share first authorship
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