experiments

Technique

Purpose of Each Technique

Electrophysiology

• Takes thin slices of brain tissues to get access to the neurons to:

1.  Record electrical activity

2. Deliver electrical signals to the neurons

Immunostaining

• Uses antibodies to tag proteins to see where they are 

• Questions it can answer:

  • Do cells in the striatum express different proteins than cells in the hippocampus?

  • If people with exceptional memory have different gene expressions than people with normal memory, what’s the protein encoded by the expressed gene?

Lesions

• Can be delivered to an animal model

• Electrical lesions: kill cell bodies and neighboring axons passing by with physical damage

• Excitotoxic lesions: kill cell bodies using glutamate agonists (overstimulation)

Temporary Inactivation

• Temporarily inactivates via intracranial microinjections of:

1. Glutamate antagonist → blocks excitation of the neural circuit and blocks glutamate signaling

2. GABA agonist → enhances inhibition of the neural circuit

Mild Electrical Stimulation

• Stimulates neural circuits by delivering electricity to a specific region of the brain 

Neurotransmitter Stimulation

• Temporarily activates via intracranial microinjections:

  • Glutamate agonist → enhances excitation of the neural circuit and enhances glutamate signaling

  • GABA agonist → enhances GABA signaling