SnapShot: Optical Control and Imaging of Brain Activity

Optical methods have assumed a leading role in the study of intact nervous system function. In comparison with traditional electrical recordings, optical imaging enables the measurement of activity in many structures at once, including subcellular domains. For observing function at the cellular level, multiphoton fluorescence microscopy allows tracking to be done with spatiotemporal resolution in the micron and millisecond range. Light can also be used to activate brain tissue by using “caged” neurotransmitters and second messengers, and, more recently, by using light-sensitive ion channels, pumps, and receptors to allow optogenetic activation.