Multimodal, Multisite Neuronal Recordings for Brain Research

The basically electrical nature of the brain's information processing opens a splendid way to learn about its details by using extracellular, microwire recordings to eavesdrop on the activity and information exchange among its neuronal constituents. This method has the advantage over glass micropipettes of bringing quite a sturdy probe into the vicinity of a more or less randomly selected neuron. With this method an immense volume of knowledge was acquired with single - and multiple-electrode recordings from the living brain. This chapter discusses the examples to illustrate that the technology of electrophysiological microrecordings - and for that matter stimulation as well-has come a long way toward multisite and minimally traumatic brain interfacing devices. However, the future of these technologies is even more exciting than the past, since the combination of electrical with optical modalities puts new procedures at the hands of neuroscientists and perhaps even clinical practitioners.