L2/3 Modern Methods in Neuroscience Flashcards
What are the main methods used in circuit neuroscience
psychological illusions, lesions, anatomical studies, fMRI, electrophysiological recordings
What area of the brain can fMRI help to study
visual processing
Describe the changes in the brain when motion is perceived
increased oxygen/glucose to certain areas of the brain
What is a disadvantage of humans and primates as model organisms
long life cycle
What model organisms are used to study neuroscience
humans, primates, cats, dogs, zebrafish, drosophila
How can you map neurons connections
stimulate one neuron and record another
What methods map neuronal connections
electron microscopy, cajal and golgi
What method labels neurons sparsely
cajal and golgi
What can golgi staining of neurons be combined with
electrophysiology
What is a disadvantage of using GFP to stain neurons
rarely stains individual neurons
Describe the components of sharp electrode recordings
thin tipped electrode filled with potassium chloride electrolyte
What is the effect of stimuli on photoreceptors in humans and vertebrates
hyper-polarisation
What are the disadvantages of sharp electrode recordings
limited possibility of controlling membrane potential, single channels cannot be measured
What are the types pipette based patch clamp techniques
on cell, inside out, outside out, whole cell
What does whole cell configuration allow measurement of
current of the entire membrane
Which patch clamp technique allows the intracellular solution to be changed
inside out
What techniques can be combined into one experiment
morphology and electrophysiology
What colour light has to be shone on GFP for it to go green
blue light
What is GCaMP
GFP based calcium indicator
What is GCaMP made from
GFP fused with two calcium binding proteins
What is the effect of calcium proteins on GFP in GCaMP
GFP becomes brighter
What does GCaMP highlight
active neurons
What type of microscopy gives high quality images
confocal microscopy
What issues arise if animals are sedated with Na+ channel blockers?
blockers decrease excitability of nerves
Describe the use of freely moving animals in neuroscience study
tiny fluorescent microscope is placed directly into skull
What is halorhodopsin
chloride channel
What does halorhodopsin cause
hyper polarisation in response to yellow light
