Single Neuron Summary

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A group of researchers at Stanford University have recently published a report on cutting-edge technology in the field of nervous system physiology. Neurons in the brain send action potentials (APs), short bursts of voltage that provide communication to surrounding neurons in response to inputs from other portions of the body. These APs between neurons are generally what we would think of as brain activity. The authors are investigating a new type of voltage sensor, which has the ability to quantify the electrical activity of neurons to give a picture of the brain’s optical activity on both a single neuron as well as a broader neuron network basis. The voltage sensor developed by the authors, Accelerated Sensor of Action Potentials 1 …show more content…
Figure 4A compares fluorescence responses to both APs and spontaneous subthreshold potentials in ASAP1 and ArcLight. ASAP1 again provides a highly correlated fluorescent response while ArcLight provides a less defined response and even misses an AP altogether. Uniquely, Figure 4B shows ASAP1 responding very well to the only spontaneous sequential AP occurring during the entire series of experimental trials. The graph in Figure C indicates that ASAP1 does not markedly lose ability to provide a fluorescence response through the duration of a 15-minute continuous trial. Figure 4D indicates that ASAP1 was able to discriminate precisely between subthreshold depolarizations and APs in cortical slices. Lastly, Figure 4E shows ASAP1’s ability to respond accurately to a long train of pulses in cortical slices, detecting every AP and most of the depolarizations below …show more content…
By providing a comparison to the next best technology, ArcLight, the authors illustrate the advantages provided by their newly designed technology. I do agree with the authors that ASAP1 will be a great boost to the field of neuroscience. According to the information presented, ASAP1 will be the first fluorescent sensor to be placed in the extracellular loop of the neuron, which will enable researchers to gain a far better comprehension of neuronal signaling than ever before. The vast range of data collected on different types of neurons, the simulation of various different voltage patterns, and the ability of ASAP1 to still provide viable data after constant exposure to signaling leads me to believe that it is a well developed technology that will lend a great hand to the field of
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