title: Measuring synchronization in neuronal networks for biosensor applications.
abstract: Cultures of neurons can be grown on microelectrode arrays (MEAs), so that their spike and burst activity can be monitored. These activity patterns are quite sensitive to changes in the environment, such as chemical exposure, and hence the cultures can be used as biosensors. One key issue in analyzing the data from neuronal networks is how to quantify the level of synchronization among different units, which represent different neurons in the network. In this paper, we propose a synchronization metric, based on the statistical distribution of unit-to-unit correlation coefficients. We show that this synchronization metric changes significantly when the networks are exposed to bicuculline, strychnine, or 2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-l,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzoquinoxaline-7-sulphonamide (NBQX). For that reason, this metric can be used to characterize pharmacologically induced changes in a network, either for research or for biosensor applications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6900, 4555 Overlook Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20375, USA. jonathan.selinger@nrl.navy.mil
authors.forename: Jonathan V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Selinger
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pancrazio
authors.forename: Guenter W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008959:Models, Neurological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011810:Quinoxalines; C062865:2,3-dioxo-6-nitro-7-sulfamoylbenzo(f)quinoxaline; D013331:Strychnine; D001640:Bicuculline