Infrared LED oblique illumination for studying neuronal circuits in in-vitro block-preparations of the spinal cord and brain stem.:
How to visualize and record neurons in thick blocks of tissue or intact brain/spinal cord preparations?
This case will explain how one can perform visually guided patch-clamp recordings from the surface of intact spinal cord or brain preparations in vitro.
Conventional thin slice preparations greatly advanced our understanding of neuronal connections within several brain regions. However, the geometry of some CNS areas and the preferred orientation of connections are not always compatible with slicing. The simple, cheap, yet efficient method described here uses oblique infrared LED illumination to circumvent this problem, by illuminating the surface of the investigated CNS are and allowing manipulation of cells that are residing close to the surface. The case contains a step-by-step description of the technique.
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