Document Detail


Single-unit in vivo recordings from the optic chiasm of rat.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20364119     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Information about the visual world is transmitted to the brain in sequences of action potentials in retinal ganglion cell axons that make up the optic nerve. In vivo recordings of ganglion cell spike trains in several animal models have revealed much of what is known about how the early visual system processes and encodes visual information. However, such recordings have been rare in one of the most common animal models, the rat, possibly owing to difficulty in detecting spikes fired by small diameter axons. The many retinal disease models involving rats motivate a need for characterizing the functional properties of ganglion cells without disturbing the eye, as with intraocular or in vitro recordings. Here, we demonstrate a method for recording ganglion cell spike trains from the optic chiasm of the anesthetized rat. We first show how to fabricate tungsten-in-glass electrodes that can pick up electrical activity from single ganglion cell axons in rat. The electrodes outperform all commercial ones that we have tried. We then illustrate our custom-designed stereotaxic system for in vivo visual neurophysiology experiments and our procedures for animal preparation and reliable and stable electrode placement in the optic chiasm.
Authors:
Daniel K Freeman; Walter F Heine; Christopher L Passaglia
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Video-Audio Media     Date:  2010-04-02
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1940-087X     ISO Abbreviation:  J Vis Exp     Publication Date:  2010  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-04-05     Completed Date:  2010-04-19     Revised Date:  2012-04-02    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101313252     Medline TA:  J Vis Exp     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Action Potentials
Animals
Axons / physiology
Electrodes
Electrophysiology / instrumentation,  methods*
Glass
Optic Chiasm / physiology*
Rats
Retinal Ganglion Cells / physiology
Tungsten
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01-EY016849A/EY/NEI NIH HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
7440-33-7/Tungsten

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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