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Brain Research Protocols 2 1998 229–242
Protocol
A novel organotypic long-term culture of the rat hippocampus on
substrate-integrated multielectrode arrays
U. Egert 1, B. Schlosshauer ), S. Fennrich, W. Nisch, M. Fejtl, T. Knott, T. Muller 2, H. Hammerle
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Naturwissenschaftliches und Medizinisches Institut NMI , an der UniÕersitat Tubingen in Reutlingen, Markwiesenstr. 55, D-72770 Reutlingen, Germany
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Accepted 12 March 1998
Abstract
Spatiotemporally coordinated activity of neural networks is crucial for brain functioning. To understand the basis of physiological
information processing and pathological states, simultaneous multisite long-term recording is a prerequisite. In a multidisciplinary
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approach we developed a novel system of organotypically cultured rat hippocampal slices on a planar 60-microelectrode array MEA .
This biohybrid system allowed cultivation for 4 weeks. Methods known from semiconductor production were employed to fabricate and
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characterize the MEA. Simultaneous extracellular recording of local field potentials LFPs and spike activity at 60 sites under sterile
conditions allowed the analysis of network activity with high spatiotemporal resolution. To our knowledge this is the first realization of
hippocampus cultured organotypically on multi-microelectrode arrays for simultaneous recording and electrical stimulation. This
biohybrid system promises to become a powerful tool for drug discovery and for the analysis of neural networks, of synaptic plasticity,
and of pathophysiological conditions such as ischemia and epilepsy. q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Themes: Other systems of the CNS
Topics: Limbic system and hypothalamus
Keywords: Correlation analysis; Hippocampus; Multielectrode array; Organotypic long-term culture; Paired pulse facilitation; Photolithography; Rat;
Plasticity
1. Type of research
Ø Synaptic potentiation, paired pulse facilitation; long-
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term potentiation; network analysis 2,3,14 .
Ø Extracellular recording; multi site recording; da