title: Interaction of electrically evoked responses in networks of dissociated cortical neurons.
abstract: In this work we describe the interaction of the responses of neuronal networks to pairs of electrical stimuli. For this we use networks of dissociated cortical neurons cultured on planar microelectrode arrays. We compare the response to pairs of stimuli with the response to a stimulus in isolation. To evaluate the influence of both stimuli we introduce a normalization of the root-mean square of the response. Furthermore we consider the response to a pair of stimuli as the linear superposition of the two constituents. The two methods combined show that the neuronal network strongly suppresses the second stimulus. At the same time we find a possible window of integration in which two stimuli from separate locations in the network can interact to form a new response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysical and Electronic Engineering, Neuroengineering and Bio-Nano Technology Group, University of Genova, Via Opera Pia 11a, 16145 Genova, Italy. pieter.laurens@unige.it
authors.forename: Pieter Laurens
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Baljon
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiappalone
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martinoia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004566:Electrodes; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors