Objective: Patterned photo-stimulation offers a promising path towards the effective control of distributed neuronal circuits. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and governing principles of spatiotemporally patterned microscopic photo-absorber induced neural-thermal stimulation (PAINTS) based on light absorption by exogenous extracellular photo-absorbers.
Approach: We projected holographic light patterns from a green continuous-wave (CW) or an IR femtosecond laser onto exogenous photo-absorbing particles dispersed in the vicinity of cultured rat cortical cells.