Painless head holder for unitary recordings from alert rats.
The construction and implantation of a device is described that holds the head of an alert rat in a well-defined position. The main parts of the head holder consist of a plate with a wide opening to allow for vertical access to virtually all parts of the brain, a rectangular recording well, and two specially shaped elastic steel skull clamps. It is easy to fabricate, painless, long-lasting, and suitable for stable stereotaxic recordings of single units in small alert mammals.
D000818:Animals; D004585:Electrooculography; D005133:Eye Movements; D009482:Neurophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology