ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neural Technology
A Wearable Deep Brain Stimulation System for Behavioral Studies in Rodents
Provisionally accepted
- Chongqing university of post and telecommunications, Chongqing, China
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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been shown to be an effective method for improving motor function by modulating brain circuits. However, the exact mechanism of action remains unclear. Current DBS devices often lack suitability for rodent models crucial for mechanism exploration. To overcome the limitation, we designed a wearable DBS device, which enables rodent behavior research. The stimulator, specifically designed for rodent behavioral research, offers several key advantages, including low weight (5 g excluding battery), compact size (30 mm × 38 mm), and extended battery life (≥300 hours). Integrated low-power Bluetooth enables real-time wireless adjustment of stimulation parameters (frequency: 80–150 Hz; pulse width: 40–340μs; amplitude: 2.3–3V). The stimulation efficacy of this device has been successfully validated in a hemi-PD rat model. Our device shows broad applicability for behavior-based studies and in investigating the mechanisms of various brain nuclei in rodent models.
Keywords: Deep Brain Stimulation, behavioral, stimulator, Rodents, embedded system
Received: 18 Sep 2025; Accepted: 05 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Shen, Zhao, Lv, Liu, Chen, Zhang and Chen. 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) or licensor 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: Dechun Zhao
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