Cell-attached voltage-clamp and current-clamp recording and stimulation techniques in brain slicesKatherine L. PerkinsCorresponding Author Contact Information, a, E-mail The Corresponding AuthoraDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11203, USAReceived 9 December 2005; revised 18 January 2006; accepted 9 February 2006. Available online 22 March 2006.AbstractCell-attached recording provides a way to record the activity of – and to stimulate – neurons in brain slices without rupturing the cell membrane. This review uses theory and experimental data to address the proper application of this technique and the correct interpretation of the data. Voltage-clamp mode is best-suited for recording cell firing activity, and current-clamp mode is best-suited for recording resting membrane potential and synaptic potentials. The magnitude of the seal resistance determines what types of experiments can be accomplished with a cell-attached recording: a loose seal is adequate for recording action potential currents, and a tight seal is required for evoking action potentials in the attached cell and for recording resting and synaptic potentials. When recording action potential currents, if the researcher does not want to change the firing activity of the cell, then it is important that no current passes from the amplifier through the patch resistance. In order to accomplish this condition, the recording pipette should be held at the potential that gives a holding current of 0. An advantage of cell-attached current-clamp over whole-cell recording is that it accurately depicts whether a synaptic potential is hyperpolarizing or depolarizing without the risk of changing its polarity.Keywords: Hippocampus; Depolarizing GABA; Excitatory GABA; Interneuron; Cell-attached; Patch clamp; GABA; Patch slice
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