Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2006 Dec;453(3):385-96.
doi: 10.1007/s00424-006-0150-x. Epub 2006 Oct 18.

Optical monitoring of brain function in vivo: from neurons to networks

Olga Garaschuk  1 , Ruxandra-Iulia Milos, Christine Grienberger, Nima Marandi, Helmuth Adelsberger, Arthur Konnerth
Affiliations
Review

Optical monitoring of brain function in vivo: from neurons to networks

Olga Garaschuk et al. Pflugers Arch. 2006 Dec.

Abstract

The precise understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of brain function requires the direct assessment of the activity of defined cells in vivo. A promising approach for such analyses is two-photon microscopy in combination with appropriate cell labeling techniques. Here, we review the multi-cell bolus loading (MCBL) method that involves the use of membrane-permeant fluorescent indicator dyes. We show that this approach is useful for the functional analysis of clusters of neurons and glial cells in vivo. Work from our and other laboratories shows that the techniques that were previously feasible only in brain slices, like targeted patch clamp recordings from identified cells or pharmacological manipulations in confined brain regions, can now be used also in vivo. We also show that MCBL and two-photon imaging can be easily combined with other labeling techniques, particularly with those involving the use of genetically encoded, green-fluorescent-protein-based indicators. Finally, we examine recent applications of MCBL/two-photon imaging for the analysis of various brain regions, including the somatosensory and the visual cortex.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Pflugers Arch. 1981 Aug;391(2):85-100 - PubMed
    1. Nature. 1997 Jan 9;385(6612):161-5 - PubMed
    1. Nat Neurosci. 2005 Aug;8(8):988-90 - PubMed
    1. Nat Cell Biol. 2000 Jan;2(1):25-9 - PubMed
    1. Neuroreport. 1991 Aug;2(8):485-8 - PubMed

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources