An Open-Source Rodent Chronic EEG Array System with High Density MXene-Based Skull Surface Electrodes

Electroencephalography (EEG) is an indispensable tool in epilepsy, sleep, and behavioral research. In rodents, EEG recordings are typically performed with metal electrodes that traverse the skull into the epidural space. In addition to requiring a major surgery, this intracranial EEG technique is difficult to perform for more than a few electrodes, is time-intensive, and confounds experiments studying traumatic brain injury. Here, we describe an open-source cost-effective refinement of this technique for chronic mouse EEG recording. Our alternative two channel (EEG2) and sixteen channel high-density EEG (HdEEG) arrays use electrodes made of the novel, flexible 2D nanomaterial titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene. The MXene electrodes are placed on the surface of the intact skull and establish electrical connection without conductive gel or paste. Fabrication and implantation times of MXene EEG electrodes are significantly shorter than the standard approach and recorded resting baseline and epileptiform EEG waveforms are similar to those obtained with traditional epidural electrodes. Applying HdEEG to a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) model in mice of both sexes revealed that mTBI significantly altered awake resting state spectral density with a spatiospectral region of interest in the β spectral band (12-30 Hz) in the central and posterior regions. These findings indicate that fabrication of MXene electrode arrays is a cost effective, efficient technology for multichannel EEG recording in rodents that obviates the need for skull-penetrating surgery. Moreover, increased β spectral power may contribute to the development of early post-mTBI seizures. Significance Statement Electroencephalography (EEG) is a critical technique used to study neurological activity in rodents. Commonly used EEG procedures require time-consuming skull-penetrating surgeries that may confound the experiments. Here we provide a cost-effective solution for obtaining two channel (EEG2) and high-density EEG (HdEEG) recordings on the skull surface thus avoiding major surgery. We compared this HdEEG system to traditional EEG recordings and then used it to determine the effects of mild traumatic brain injury on awake resting state spectral density. This novel open-source EEG system will contribute the electrophysiological characterization of rodent behaviors and seizure activity.