CBRAM-based bio-inspired circuit for the emulation and treatment of the Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

In recent years, the intrinsic neuromorphic properties of memristor devices have led to their extensive use in brain-inspired circuits and systems. The development of brain-inspired (nano)circuits incorporating memristors has the potential to revolutionize the field of neuromorphic engineering. This study presents a novel circuit design of Basal Ganglia (BG), with the Memristor-Based Oscillator (MBO), which takes a significant step forward in this direction. The MBO circuit utilizes low-power fitted Conductive-Bridging RAM (CBRAM) devices with distinct neuromorphic features, making it a promising tool for both research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Additionally, the circuit incorporates modeled synapses exhibiting both excitatory and inhibitory behavior and is calibrated to match the performance of fabricated devices. The MBO circuit is well-suited for incorporation in brain-inspired networks and can accurately replicate neuronal behavior, resulting to a low-cost emulator for PD and other neurodegenerative diseases compared with other hardware approaches. In this study, the Parkinsonian Network (PN) was replicated and then the Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) methodology was applied, showing promising results for the development of memristor-based brain-inspired nanocircuits.