Variety Is the Spice of Life: Positive and Negative Effects of Noise in Electrical Stimulation of the Nervous System

Noisy stimuli may hold the key for optimal electrical stimulation of the nervous system. Possible mechanisms of noise's impact upon neuronal function are discussed, including intracellular, extracellular, and systems-level mechanisms. Specifically, channel resonance, stochastic resonance, high...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Neuroscientist (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 27; no. 5; p. 529
Main Authors Howard, Calvin W, Toossi, Amirali, Mushahwar, Vivian K
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.10.2021
Subjects
Electric Stimulation
Humans
Neurons
Spinal Cord Injuries
noise
stochastic
intraspinal microstimulation
spinal cord
neurostimulation
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Summary:Noisy stimuli may hold the key for optimal electrical stimulation of the nervous system. Possible mechanisms of noise's impact upon neuronal function are discussed, including intracellular, extracellular, and systems-level mechanisms. Specifically, channel resonance, stochastic resonance, high conductance states, and network binding are investigated. These mechanisms are examined and possible directions of growth for the field are discussed, with examples of applications provided from the fields of deep brain stimulation or spinal cord injury. Together, this review highlights the theoretical basis and evidence base for the use of noise to enhance current stimulation paradigms of the nervous system.
ISSN:1089-4098
DOI:10.1177/1073858420951155