Techniques for Large-Scale Multiunit Recording

Single and multineuron extracellular electrophysiology has proven to be one of the most effective techniques to explore the behavior of neurons in freely behaving animals since the 1950s. Electrode technology has evolved over the past 60+ years, with improvements in electrode profiles, configurations, biocompatibility, and driving mechanisms leading to substantial gains in the isolation of single neuron activity and increases in the possible number of simultaneously recorded neurons. Moreover, combining electrode recording and nanotechnology with pharmacological and optogenetic manipulations are expected to bring about a new age for precise recording and manipulation of neurons. In this chapter we review the technical developments of extracellular electrophysiology in freely behaving animals, with special emphasis on the development of microelectrode technology.

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