Lecture 2

Methods in Neurophysiology
Or
How to measure the brain?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Produces 2-D
and 3-D images with high spatial resolution
D image-2 D image-3

Copyright © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

 Neurophysiology
• Neurophysiology is a method of research used
to obtain information produced by the
electrical and magnetic signals in the active,
functioning brain
 Neuronal electrical properties
V=I R

V – Difference in electrical potential between

two points (interior and exterior of a cell)

I – Electrical current – Ion movement
R- Resistance - membrane or ion channel
.different methods used in neuroscience
 Resolution
:Temporal resolution
The accuracy with which one can measure
when an event (e.g. a physiological change)
.occurs

:Spatial resolution
The accuracy with which one can measure where
an event (e.g. a physiological change) is
.occurring
 ?What is patch-clamp
Patch-clamping is an electrophysiological technique
in which
we are able to CLAMP the VOLTAGE of an isolated
piece of
.cell membrane (or whole-cell)

By clamping the voltage we are able to observe

CURRENTS that flow through ION CHANNELS.

Patch-clamp recording allows us to measure very

.small currents - in the pA range (10-12 A)
Patch clamp

Study of single or multiple Ion channels

Glass micropipette that has an open tip

diameter of about one micrometer

It is sealed onto the surface of the cell

membrane , rather than inserted through it

If you keep the voltage constant you can

observe changes in current
 The patch-clamp circuit
FBR

+
Amplifier

Technical
The high gain operational amplifier is
connected in the circuit so that the current
flowing through the ion channel is measured
as a voltage drop across the feedback resistor
The FBR has a resistance of 50 G .)FBR(
allowing very small currents (10-12 A)
.to be measured

Patch of cell membrane with ion channel

A patch-clamp rig
Cerebellar slice

In Vitro

In Vivo
Rokni 2009
 Invasive Electrophysiological Recording
Methods

• Intracellular unit recording

– Membrane potential of a neuron
• Extracellular unit recording
– Firing of a neuron
• Multiple-unit recording
– Firing of many neurons
Invasive EEG recording •
Invasive Electrophysiological Recording Methods (continued)

Copyright © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

 Extra cellular recording

Measuring electrical activity in a living animal

The electrode is a microelectrode, with a tip size of about 1 micrometer

The action potentials typically about 1 mV

,
?How is it sound
Study
 Extra cellular recording in Epileptic patients

Responsive Neurostimulator
System (RNS)

DBS – Deep Brain Stimulation

EEG- Electroencephalography

recording of electrical activity

Clinical – epilepsy, coma, sleep

Experimental – mental, motor,

sensory (pain)

24 electrodes on the sculp

The scalp electrical potentials t

EEG are due to the extracellula
ionic currents caused by dendr
electrical activity
The signal pass many layers – that why
many neurons needed

Summation of the synchronous activity

of thousands or millions of neurons

Two parameters: Amplitude and rate

EEG rates – Alfa – 8-13Hz

Beta – above 14 Hz – low

amp

Teta – 4-7 Hz

Delta – below 4 Hz - high

amp
Some typical
-electro
encephalo-
grams and
their
psychological
correlates

Copyright © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

 Methods of Visualizing the Living Human
Brain: Function
Positron emission tomography (PET)

Positron emission •
tomography (PET)
Magnetoencephalo- •
graphy (MEG)
Brain image archives •
Transcranial magnetic •
stimulation

Copyright © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

 Lesion Methods
• Remove, damage, or destroy a part of the brain
to observe impact on behavior
– Aspiration lesions – suction cortical tissue
– Radio-frequency lesions – heat destroys tissue
– Knife cuts – may damage surrounding area
– Cryogenic blockade – “reversible lesion”

• Lesion studies must be interpreted carefully

because it is difficult to make small, precise
lesions in the brain
 Lesion
Methods
)continued(

Two methods of
deactivating a brain
structure: a subcortical
knife cut lesion and a
“reversible lesion” by
cooling to just above
freezing using a
cryoprobe
 TMS - Transcranial magnetic stimulation
weak currents are induced in the tissue by rapidly changing
magnetic field

Transcranial magnetic stimulation – TMS

Method: Single or paired pulse TMS

The pulse(s) causes a population of neurons

to depolarize and discharge an action potential

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation – rTMS

rTMS can increase or decrease the excitability

depending on the intensity of stimulation
Psychophysics or Behavioral methods

The scientific study of the relation between stimulus

and sensation or action

Actually all the clinical studies

Non invasive

Cognitive or motor test

Input Output
 Morris Water Maze
(Spatial learning and memory)

For rodents

Must use visual

Cues

Measures spatial
learning and
memory
 Rotorod test
Rodent is placed on a
rotating rod

rodent’s ability to remain on

the rotating rod is recorded

Sensorimotor coordination
 Behavioral test for human

Concentration in different hours computerized dynamic posturography

 Motor performance
RT
Movement speed

What else..
 Combination between two methods

To test:
The neural changes in the
primary motor cortex
During learning a new skil.

After effect
Washout trials
 Examples of cell activity recorded in the
primary motor cortex
Tuning curve
A kinematic cell

A dynamic cell
?Where are we going
 Brain Computer Interface

• A Brain-Computer Interface is a communication

system that do not depend on peripheral nerves
and muscles
• Applications:
– Patient with severe movement disorders: Control
external devices (neuroprosthesis, wheelchair) by
mental focus
– Entertainment (games)
– Military Use (fighter pilots)
 BCI system

• BCI system based on classification of motor

imagery related brain activity changes in ongoing
EEG
– Electrodes placed on the scalp
– Movement imagination (left hand, right hand, foot or
tongue)
Primary Motor Cortex

Primary Somato Sensory Cortex

Motor execution vs. Movement imagination

Execution

Imagination

time 500ms ERD ERS

Simplified model of the BCI system
 Experiments

• Rotate the cube by mental focus

•Feature extraction: adaptive
autoregressive parameter
•Feedback: rotation, size, color of
cube
Observation of Movement 
 Further work

• Virtual flat
• Navigastion: e.g
moving into bathroom