New “Wire” Points to New Treatment Approach for Neurological Disorders

A man in a white coat looking at the camera and smiling

Below is a summary of a story on Duke University School of Medicine. 

Broken or disrupted circuits in the brain contribute to many neurological disorders. Scientists at Duke University have developed a new treatment approach that would bypass damaged brain connections, instead of changing existing connections.

The team, led by Dr. Kafui Dzirasa, created a technology called LinCx that acts like a biological “wire.” It allows scientists to form new electrical connections between specific neurons. 

Rather than fixing faulty synapses, LinCx creates a new pathway that lets neurons communicate more effectively. In a study of mice, the targeted electrical connections resulted in changes in behavior, including social interaction and stress response. 

“By introducing a way to plug in new electrical connections with cellular‑level precision, our study marks a major step forward in the ability to edit brain circuitry and understand how neural networks give rise to behavior,” said Dzirasa, the A. Eugene and Marie Washington Presidential Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences.

Researchers say the approach could help scientists better understand how brain networks shape behavior and eventually lead to new treatments for neurological disorders.

For more information about the study and next steps, go to Duke University School of Medicine.