Do you want to know more about microelectrodes for neurobiological studies?

 

Justin M. Kita and R. Mark Wightman have published an article about this questions!

Take a look at a small part of this paper below!

 

 

“Microelectrodes have been used to elucidate a number of neurobiological questions. For example, microelectrodes have been used to probe the basics of vesicular release at the cellular level using a technique known as constant potential amperometry. More recently, however, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has emerged as one of the primary alternatives to microdialysis for studying neurobiology due to its less invasive implantation and enhanced temporal resolution. Both techniques have proven critical for furthering our understanding of brain chemistry and its role in behavioral neurobiology.

 

Sensors for measuring neurobiological events must be both small and rapid. Microelectrodes are thus ideal for this type of application since they possess dimensions in the micron range. Microelectrodes can be fabricated in a variety of ways, either through insulation of a carbon fiber with a glass capillary, or utilizing carbon fiber nanoelectrodes. The small size of the electrode minimizes the double-layer capacitance, thus making it possible to make recordings on the sub-second time scale. Microelectrodes are not inherently selective; however, the selectivity of the microelectrode can be enhanced either through application of techniques such as FSCV or chemical modification of the electrode surface.

 

Electrochemical detection utilizing microelectrodes requires that the detected species be electroactive. Several neurochemical transmitters can be electrochemically detected, such as dopamine and serotonin and many other molecules derived from the amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan. Additionally, there are other processes, such as transient changes in physiological pH, which can be detected electrochemically using FSCV. Microelectrodes are also capable of measuring changes in concentration of several biologically relevant gases such as nitric oxide, oxygen, and carbon monoxide. In the case of FSCV, multiple analytes can be detected simultaneously, and when combined with sophisticated data analysis procedures, the individual concentrations can be accurately measured as a function of time.

 

Many biological changes, particularly at the protein level, occur on the order of minutes; however, many biological changes also occur on the order of milliseconds. Early neurobiological techniques such as microdialysis were limited to measuring tonic changes, or changes that occur over several minutes. This limitation prevented further study of neurobiological mechanisms, which can alter chemical communication within a matter of a few milliseconds. These changes can be monitored with microelectrodes either through amperometry or voltammetry.

 

Microelectrodes are now widely used in numerous biological preparations, ranging from single cell to awake, behaving animals. This versatility permits neuroscientists to probe a variety of neurobiological mechanisms such as exocytosis, neuron receptor functionality, and the chemical changes that occur in addiction to drugs of abuse. This review will provide specific, recent examples of how microelectrodes can be used to measure rapid biological and chemical changes."

 

See full text here!

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Autor:

Ivânia Bruns