Magnetoelectric nanodiscs diminish motor deficits in a model of Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Magnetoelectric nanodiscs (MENDs) offer a wireless, minimally invasive route to neuromodulation by converting weak magnetic fields into electric polarization, but their therapeutic applications have remained unrealized. Here, we report the therapeutic development of MENDs for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to alleviate motor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinsons disease. To quantitatively assess therapeutic outcomes, we introduce GaitPattern, a computational pipeline that extracts DBS-induced alterations in salient gait features. Using GaitPattern, we demonstrate that MEND-mediated STN DBS induces motor improvements with precision comparable to clinical electrode-based DBS, while minimizing inflammatory responses associated with the implanted hardware. Notably, MEND-mediated DBS reduces oxidative stress in the brain, a key contributor to neurodegeneration. These findings position MEND-mediated STN DBS as an effective and minimally invasive neuromodulation strategy.