Neuroscience Methods

Question 1

Techniques for Visualizing the brain

Answer 1

1. Histology
2. Imaging the Living Brain

Question 2

Histology Techniques

Answer 2

1. Brainbow
2. Golgi Stain
3. c-fos
4. Tracers (anterograde & retrograde)

Question 3

Imaging the living brain techniques

Answer 3

1. X-ray CT
2. MRI
3. PET
4. DTI

Question 4

Golgi Stain

Answer 4

Show us what neurons look like - cell body, dendrites, dendritic spines

Question 5

Brainbow

Answer 5

different types of dyes - each neuron that is genetically different from another neuron will be colored differently

Question 6

c-fos

Answer 6

which neurons are activated when I give this particular drug in this particular area (which neurons were c-fos positive)

Question 7

Tracers

Answer 7

-Anterograde: injected in cell body area - tracing outlines neurons from their cell bodies to their terminals
-Retrograde: injected in terminals - tracing outlines neurons from their terminals to their cell bodies

Question 8

X-ray CT

Answer 8

-(CT = computerized Tomography)
-Structural differences

Question 9

MRI

Answer 9

-(Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
-Structural or functional
-More refined than CT scans
-Gray matter positioning

Question 10

Function MRI

Answer 10

Measure increased activity (BOLD)
-Blood Oxygen Level Deficiency

Question 11

DTI

Answer 11

-(Diffusion Tensor Imaging)
-White matter positioning, fiber

Question 12

PET

Answer 12

-(Positron Emission Tomography)
-Radioactive ligands injected, picks up radioactivity released in the brain when imaging it
-Changes in receptors

Question 13

Measuring Brain Activity

Answer 13

-Ex Vivo Electrophysiology
-In Vivo Electrophysiology
-Electroencephalography (EEG)
-Ex Vivo Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry
-In Vivo Microdialysis
-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Question 14

Behavioral testing

Answer 14

1. Wheel running
2. Elevated plus maze
3. Social interaction
4. Morris water maze
5. Rotarod
6. Von Frey

Question 15

Drug Administration Techniques

Answer 15

1. Free & voluntary intake
2. Operant conditioning
3. Inhalation

Question 16

Manipulating brain & behavior

Answer 16

1. Optogenetics
2. Transmagnetic Stimulation
3. Deep Brain Stimulation

Question 17

Ex Vivo Electrophysiology

Answer 17

-Use a recording pipette - break through membrane of neuron, suck the membrane up, tight vacuum seal
-Can measure action potentials, changes in voltages, etc.
-Single ionotropic channel recording
-measures neuronal activity in acutely prepared brain slices using either patch-clamp technology or extracellular recordings
-Brain slices permit recording of synaptic currents and membrane potentials, providing mechanistic insight into drug action.

Question 18

In Vivo Electrophysiology

Answer 18

-measures neuronal activity in the brain as either local field potentials or single units
-Brain regions are targeted precisely, and the effect of test compounds can be assessed following either systemic delivery or by direct application using iontophoresis

Question 19

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Answer 19

-a test that detects abnormalities in your brain waves, or in the electrical activity of your brain
-During the procedure, electrodes consisting of small metal discs with thin wires are pasted onto your scalp
-The electrodes detect tiny electrical charges that result from the activity of your brain cell

Question 20

Ex Vivo Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry

Answer 20

Measure changes in dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin release and uptake (clearance from the synapse)

Question 21

In Vivo Microdialysis

Answer 21

Measure changes in neurotransmitter, amino acid & peptide release

Question 22

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Answer 22

-Detect glutamate, choline, creatine, lactate and lipids, N-acetyl aspartate, Myo-inositol
-non-invasive analytical technique used to study changes in brain tumors, strokes, seizure disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other diseases
-analyze chemical composition of tissues
-analyze neurotransmitters

Question 23

Wheel Running

Answer 23

-Measure locomotive activity in rats and mice
-Exercise measure

Question 24

Elevated Plus Maze

Answer 24

-Measures anxiety-like behavior
-2 open arms and 2 closed arms

Question 25

Social Interaction

Answer 25

-cage Mate vs non-cage mate on different sides of the cage -See who a rat will interact with -see where the rat spends most of its time

Question 26

Morris Water Maze

Answer 26

-Test of memory -Tub of water with a platform -Rodents don’t like to be in water, so they will swim until they find the platform -Test to see how long it takes the rat to find the platform and if they remember where it is

Question 27

Rotarod

Answer 27

-Can rats stay on the rod while it’s rotating -Performance test

Question 28

Von Frey

Answer 28

-Mesh or barred floor -Pain test - not a painful test, tests mechanical allodynia -Use hairs of different thickness -Assesses pain response

Question 29

Free & Voluntary Intake

Answer 29

put both water bottles and ethanol bottles in the cage - allow rat to choose

Question 30

Operant Conditioning

Answer 30

-Intravenous self-administration or Oral -Showing the rat that there is a lever present, and if you press that lever at the right time (when the light turns on), you will get access to the drug

Question 31

Inhalation

Answer 31

Place the animal in inhalation chambers and vaporize the drug → vapor floods the chamber and the rat/mouse will breathe it in

Question 32

Optogenetics

Answer 32

-a technique in which genes for light-sensitive proteins are introduced into specific types of brain cells in order to monitor & control their activity precisely using light signals -allows researchers to control how nerve cells communicate -Uses light stimulation & genetic modification -All of these studies are used by specific viruses that are not detrimental to health, they will just insert certain proteins -Channelrhodopsin: cation (sodium) channel, gets activated by blue light - 473nM (Optical excitation of neurons) --> used to depolarize neurons, increase neuronal activity -Halorhodopsin: anion (chloride) channel, gets activated by yellow light - 589nM (Optical inhibition of neurons) --> used to hyperpolarize neurons, decrease neuronal activity

Question 33

Transmagnetic Stimulation

Answer 33

-Send magnetic stimulation through the skull to activate certain types of neurons (non-invasive) -Use for depression, anxiety, addiction, etc. -Cannot be used for deep brain structures

Question 34

Deep Brain Stimulation

Answer 34

-Neurosurgeons place a probe deep in the brain to activate a circuit with positive stimulation -More invasive -Used to treat Parkinson’s