Scaling beyond the vagus nerve: historical and contemporary progress on electrode-based small-diameter peripheral nerve interfaces.

Max Li, Christine Ly, Jinghua Wen, Paritosh Rustogi, Ellis Meng

Abstract readReview

In one paragraph

Review in Bioelectronic medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Neural Interfaces for Bioelectronic Medicine.Bioelectronic medicine · 2026
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Max LiAlfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

Christine LyAlfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

Jinghua WenAlfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

Paritosh RustogiAlfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

Ellis MengAlfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. ellis.meng@usc.edu.

Funding

OpenNerve Platform for Post-Stroke Dysphagia and Aspiration PneumoniaU41NS129514 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI MENG, ELLIS · 2022 to 2024

$14.9M

NIH HHS U41 NS129514University of Southern California the USC Viterbi School of Engineering/USC Graduate School FellowshipUniversity of Southern California USC Annenberg Fellowship and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering/Graduate School Fellowship

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Peripheral nerve interfaces play a central role in bioelectronic medicine. Since the early foundational experiments of Luigi Galvani in the 1770s, there have been over 250 years of development in electrical neuromodulation. Even so, current clinical approaches to interface with peripheral nerves are limited. Bioelectronic interfaces for small, branched nerves are of increasing interest to unlock new therapies and minimize off-target effects. This is facilitated by our growing understanding of peripheral nervous system physiology and advances in new materials and technologies. Therefore, this review examines historical and recent developments in FDA-approved peripheral nerve interfaces and investigational interfaces with an emphasis on approaches to target smaller nerves. Unmet needs in small nerve peripheral nerve interfaces are highlighted, followed by an examination of new strategies being pursued to address them. To conclude, ongoing challenges are summarized, revealing opportunities and prospects for future advancements.

Indexed as

Cuff electrodeIntrafascicular interfaceIntraneural interfacePeripheral nerve interfaceRegenerative interface

Identifiers

PMID41761374

DOI10.1186/s42234-025-00199-0

PMCPMC12949514

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

LicenceCC BY

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.