Recording spikes from a large fraction of the ganglion cells in a retinal patch.

TitleRecording spikes from a large fraction of the ganglion cells in a retinal patch.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2004
AuthorsSegev, R, Goodhouse, J, Puchalla, J, Berry, MJ
JournalNat Neurosci
Volume7
Issue10
Pagination1154-61
Date Published2004 Oct
ISSN1097-6256
KeywordsAction Potentials, Algorithms, Ambystoma, Animals, Artifacts, Axons, Dextrans, Electrophysiology, Microelectrodes, Microscopy, Electron, Transmission, Neural Pathways, Neurophysiology, Optic Nerve, Organ Culture Techniques, Retinal Ganglion Cells, Rhodamines, Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted, Synaptic Transmission, Vision, Ocular, Visual Fields
Abstract

<p>To understand a neural circuit completely requires simultaneous recording from most of the neurons in that circuit. Here we report recording and spike sorting techniques that enable us to record from all or nearly all of the ganglion cells in a patch of the retina. With a dense multi-electrode array, each ganglion cell produces a unique pattern of activity on many electrodes when it fires an action potential. Signals from all of the electrodes are combined with an iterative spike sorting algorithm to resolve ambiguities arising from overlapping spike waveforms. We verify that we are recording from a large fraction of ganglion cells over the array by labeling the ganglion cells with a retrogradely transported dye and by comparing the number of labeled and recorded cells. Using these methods, we show that about 60 receptive fields of ganglion cells cover each point in visual space in the salamander, consistent with anatomical findings.</p>

DOI10.1038/nn1323
Alternate JournalNat Neurosci
PubMed ID15452581
Grant ListR01 EY14196 / EY / NEI NIH HHS / United States