Significant interest exists in the potential of electric field (EF) application to be developed into a technology to direct neuronal regeneration. In vitro, EFs were shown to direct the growth of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons, the neurons that make up the optic nerve. As larger EF gradients were shown to direct more efficient growth, investigations into the most effective stimulation strategies that can generate the greatest voltage gradient are needed before EF application can be developed into a technology to direct optic nerve regeneration in vivo. We performed ex-vivo experiments to compare the ability of different electrode materials, platinum vs. tungsten, to generate an EF gradient along the rat optic nerve. Platinum electrodes at both source and ground positions were found to generate the greatest voltage gradient along the optic nerve. Experimental results were used to inform an equivalent computational model of the optic nerve, which was subsequently employed to predict more effective electrode pair combinations. Our results confirmed that the platinum-platinum electrode pair generates the maximum voltage gradient which are highly dependent on electrode size and electrode-electrolyte interfaces. This computational platform can serve as a foundation for the development of electrical stimulation therapies for nerve regeneration.
Keywords: Electrode; axonal regeneration; electric field; neural stimulation; optic nerve; voltage gradient.