title: A motorized microdrive for recording of neural ensembles in awake behaving rats.
abstract: The recording of neural ensembles in awake, behaving rats has been an extremely successful experimental paradigm, providing demonstrable scientific advances. Dynamic control of the position of the implanted electrodes is of key importance as mobile electrodes provide a better signal-to-noise ratio and a better cell/ electrode yield than nonmobile electrodes. Here we describe the use of low cost, soon to be commercially available dc motors to successfully control the depth of electrodes. The prototype designed is approximately 30 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length and weighed about 30 gms. This paper presents the results of linear displacements of electrodes achievable with this motorized microdrive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Venkateswaran
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boldt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parthasarathy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ziaie
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Erdman
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Redish
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008904:Miniaturization; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D009038:Motion; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014851:Wakefulness