Functional imaging of retinal photoreceptors and inner neurons using stimulus-evoked intrinsic optical signals.
Retinal development is a dynamic process both anatomically and functionally. High-resolution imaging and dynamic monitoring of photoreceptors and inner neurons can provide important information regarding the structure and function of the developing retina. In this chapter, we describe intrinsic optical signal (IOS) imaging as a high spatiotemporal resolution method for functional study of living retinal tissues. IOS imaging is based on near infrared (NIR) light detection of stimulus-evoked transient change of inherent optical characteristics of the cells. With no requirement for exogenous biomarkers, IOS imaging is totally noninvasive for functional mapping of stimulus-evoked spatiotemporal dynamics of the photoreceptors and inner retinal neurons.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. xcy@uab.edu
Xin-Cheng
XC
Yao
Yi-Chao
YC
Li
D000818:Animals; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D011894:Rana pipiens; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D055351:Retinal Neurons / Q000502:physiology*