The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has chosen seven research teams for a program that aims to develop a closed-loop system that will work to detect and treat diseases through peripheral nerve stimulation.
DARPA said Monday it wants Electrical Prescriptions program researchers to develop a nerve stimulation device that can be tested in clinical trials in order to treat inflammatory conditions, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.
“Using the peripheral nervous system as a medium for delivering therapy is largely new territory and it’s rich with potential to manage many of the conditions that impact the readiness of our military and, more generally, the health of the nation,â€Â said Doug Weber, ElectRx program manager at DARPA.
The ElectRx program’s first phase will focus on neural circuit mapping to study the physiology of diseases and development of bio-electrical interfaces and neural devices.
Selected teams include:
- Circuit Therapeutics
- Columbia University
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Johns Hopkins University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Purdue University
- University of Texas
