Three-dimensional-printed headcap with embedded microdrive system for customizable multi-region brain recordings with neural probes.

Electrophysiological recordings from single neurons are crucial for understanding the complex functioning of the brain and for developing eventual therapeutic interventions. For electrophysiology, the accuracy and fidelity of invasive implantations of small devices remains unmatched. This study introduces an innovative, cost-efficient, 3D-printed headcap with embedded microdrive (THEM) system designed to streamline the manual labor-intensive electrode implantation process for efficient and precise multi-region brain neural probe implantations.

3D Printed Skull Cap and Benchtop Fabricated Microwire-Based Microelectrode Array for Custom Rat Brain Recordings.

Microwire microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have been a popular low-cost tool for chronic electrophysiological recordings and are an inexpensive means to record the electrical dynamics crucial to brain function. However, both the fabrication and implantation procedures for multi-MEAs on a single rodent are time-consuming and the accuracy and quality are highly manual skill-dependent. To address the fabrication and implantation challenges for microwire MEAs, (1) a computer-aided designed and 3D printed skull cap for the pre-determined implantation locations of each MEA and (2) a benchtop fabrication approach for low-cost custom microwire MEAs were developed.

Interaction of Norepinephrine and Glucocorticoids Modulate Inhibition of Principle Cells of Layer II Medial Entorhinal Cortex in Male Mice.

Spatial memory processing requires functional interaction between the hippocampus and the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC). The grid cells of the MEC are most abundant in layer II and rely on a complex network of local inhibitory interneurons to generate spatial firing properties. Stress can cause spatial memory deficits in males, but the specific underlying mechanisms affecting the known memory pathways remain unclear.