Single cell electrophysiologic recordings in hippocampal slices
Electrode-based techniques are the workhorse of modern cellular neurophysiology. Although these techniques are gradually being replaced by optical imaging, which allows for subcellular resolution or simultaneous recording of thousands of cells, electrode-based methods are still useful for revealing novel phenomena. Here we describe three classic techniques that we used to demonstrate biphasic, excitatory, and inhibitory, actions of tonic GABAA conductance in CA1 hippocampal interneurons. One of these techniques is whole-cell voltage/current clamp recording, which has the advantage of relatively good electrical control of the cell membrane as well as clamping of the concentrations of intracellular ions. The second technique is gramicidin perforated-patch recording, which allows for some electric control of the cellwithout disturbing the intracellular chloride concentration. The third technique, cell-attached recording, is the least invasive, but can only be used to record large signals, such as action potentials. Which of these techniques is optimal depends on the particular research question.
Posted 09 Aug, 2011
Single cell electrophysiologic recordings in hippocampal slices
Posted 09 Aug, 2011
Electrode-based techniques are the workhorse of modern cellular neurophysiology. Although these techniques are gradually being replaced by optical imaging, which allows for subcellular resolution or simultaneous recording of thousands of cells, electrode-based methods are still useful for revealing novel phenomena. Here we describe three classic techniques that we used to demonstrate biphasic, excitatory, and inhibitory, actions of tonic GABAA conductance in CA1 hippocampal interneurons. One of these techniques is whole-cell voltage/current clamp recording, which has the advantage of relatively good electrical control of the cell membrane as well as clamping of the concentrations of intracellular ions. The second technique is gramicidin perforated-patch recording, which allows for some electric control of the cellwithout disturbing the intracellular chloride concentration. The third technique, cell-attached recording, is the least invasive, but can only be used to record large signals, such as action potentials. Which of these techniques is optimal depends on the particular research question.