Brain/Spinal Cord Slice Recording
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Techniques developed in 1989 by two groups (Edwards et al & Blanton et al) allowed direct patch clamping from neurons in acute slices of brain and spinal cord. This technical achievement overcame the problems of using neurons in culture which had been treated with enzymes and displayed altered gene expression and synaptic functions. The use of brain and spinal cord slices have since been extensively used to answer some fundamental questions in neurobiology such as the fundamental mechanism of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission as well as identifying single channel characteristics of ion channels found natively in the brain.
Many ALA products are suited for brain slice electrophysiology. Constant perfusion is a key requirement for the viability of slices and the ALA VC3 system is ideal for controlling the change in bathing solutions during experiments. Extracellular field recordings are ideally carried out using NPI EXT-02F extracellular amplifier and ISO-Stim Isolated Stimulator combination.
Whole cell recordings are routinely carried out in slices using HEKA EPC amplifiers or the NPI ELC or SEC amplifiers. Slices are also the most common preparation used in Multielectrode array experiments.
Hippocampal slice recording signals
Multi Electrode Arrays
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Extracellular Micropipettes
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