Preliminary Minimum Reporting Requirements for Reporting In-Vivo Neural Interface Research: I. Implantable Neural Interfaces

The pace of research and development in neuroscience, neurotechnology, and neurorehabilitation is rapidly accelerating, with the number of publications doubling every 4.2 years. Maintaining this progress requires technological standards and scientific reporting guidelines to provide frameworks for communication and interoperability. The present lack of such standards for neurotechnologies limits the transparency, reproducibility, and meta-analysis of this growing body of research, posing an ongoing barrier to research, clinical, and commercial objectives. Continued neurotechnological innovation requires the development of some minimal standards to promote integration between this broad spectrum of technologies and therapies. To preserve design freedom and accelerate the translation of research into safe and effective technologies with maximal user benefit, such standards must be collaboratively co-developed by a full spectrum of neuroscience and neurotechnology stakeholders. This paper summarizes the preliminary recommendations of IEEE Working Group P2794, developing a Reporting Standard for in-vivo Neural Interface Research (RSNIR). Index Terms— Neurotechnology, reproducibility, scientific reporting, standardization, bioelectronic medicine Impact Statement— This work provides a preliminary set of reporting guidelines for implantable neural interface research, developed by IEEE WG P2794 in open collaboration between a range of stakeholders to accelerate the research, development, and integration of innovative neurotechnologies.