title: Spatiotemporal patterns of dorsal root-evoked network activity in the neonatal rat spinal cord: optical and intracellular recordings.
abstract: Spatiotemporal patterns of dorsal root-evoked potentials were studied in transverse slices of the rat spinal cord by monitoring optical signals from a voltage-sensitive dye with multiple-photodiode optic camera. Typically, dorsal root stimulation generated two basic waveforms of voltage images: dual-component images consisting of fast, spike-like signal followed by a slow signal in the dorsal horn, and small, slow signals in the ventral horn. To qualitatively relate the optical signals to membrane potentials, whole cell recordings were combined with measurements of light absorption in the area around the soma. The slow optical signals correlated closely with subthreshold postsynaptic potentials in all regions of the cord. The spike-like component was not associated with postsynaptic action potentials, suggesting that the fast signal was generated by presynaptic action potentials. Firing in a single neuron could not be detected optically, implying that local voltage images originated from synchronously activated neuronal ensembles. Blocking glutamatergic synaptic transmission inhibited excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and significantly reduced the slow optical signals, indicating that they were mediated by glutamatergic synapses. Suppressing glycine-mediated inhibition increased the amplitude of both optical signals and EPSPs, while blocking GABA(A) receptor-mediated synapses, increased the amplitude and time course of EPSPs and prolonged the duration of voltage images in larger areas of the slice. The close correlation between evoked EPSPs and their respective local voltage images shows the advantage of the high temporal resolution optical system in measuring both the spatiotemporal dynamics of segmental network excitation and integrated potentials of neuronal ensembles at identified sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Center for Neuroscience, 129 SMI, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. lconhaim@physiology.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ziskind-Conhaim
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Redman
mesh_terms: D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018684:Glycine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology*; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D018684:Glycine Agents; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D018750:6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione; D015763:2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate; D013331:Strychnine