title: Activity modulation elicited by electrical stimulation in networks of dissociated cortical neurons.
abstract: Recent results indicate that cultures of cortical neurons exhibit large amounts of spontaneous modulation. It has even been suggested that results obtained earlier could be explained by spontaneous development, rather than to be due to the external manipulation. This stresses the importance of having detailed knowledge of how a culture responds to stimulation, in order to discern activity modulation from structural plasticity. In this paper we apply several promising techniques of electrical stimulation to describe global network modulation occurring in these preparations. The results allow to anticipate on integration of this work in goal-directed stimulus-induced plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Neuroengineering and Bio-nano Technology Group, Department of Biophysical and Electronic Engineering, University of Genova, Via Opera Pia 11a, 16145, Genova, Italy. paolo.massobrio@unige.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massobrio
authors.forename: Pieter Laurens
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Baljon
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maccione
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiappalone
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinoia
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology