Unit and Network Activity

"A major challenge of modern neuroscience is to understand how neurons operate together in a network. Planar multielectrode arrays are a useful new tool for research at the network level. The possibility of combining multielectrode recordings with single cell patch clamp recordings offers an exciting opportunity to study mechanisms underlying network activity, and will be useful for understanding both physiological and pathophysiological network oscillations."

Ole Paulsen, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Pharmacology
Oxford University, U.K.
Email: ole.paulsen@pharm.ox.ac.uk

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Spike Sorting and Spike Determination

1. The detection of neural spike activity is a fundamental technique used to study many types of brain activity.
2. Easily detect and measure neural spikes for groups of neurons for up to months at a time
3. Get on-line spike sorting using MED64 Mobius Spike Sorter program.
4. Record time stamps only, spikes only or continuous recordings
5. Define different spike templates for each of the 64 electrodes
6. Copute and display spike frequency on-line using MED64 Mobius.

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Example 1 - Dispersed cell culture of rat suprachiasmatic nucleus
Dissociated cells from the suprachiasmatic nucleus of newborn rat pups were cultured on the MED probeT for 2-6 weeks (left). Spontaneous neural activity began to be monitored 4-10 days after cell culturing and was continuously recorded for 2-6 weeks thereafter. Spontaneous firing frequencies with periodic circadian oscillations were frequently observed (left). In the study, using data of at least 5 consecutive days of recording for every cell, most neurons (67/88) showed robust circadian rhythmicity, as assessed by chi-square periodogram analysis (below). Based on Honma, S. et. al. (1998) Neuroscience Letters , 250 ,157-160.