title: Combined two-photon imaging, electrophysiological, and anatomical investigation of the human neocortex in vitro.
abstract: Spontaneous synchronous population activity (SPA) can be detected by electrophysiological methods in cortical slices of epileptic patients, maintained in a physiological medium in vitro. In order to gain additional spatial information about the network mechanisms involved in the SPA generation, we combined electrophysiological studies with two-photon imaging. Neocortical slices prepared from postoperative tissue of epileptic and tumor patients were maintained in a dual perfusion chamber in a physiological incubation medium. SPA was recorded with a 24-channel extracellular linear microelectrode covering all neocortical layers. After identifying the electrophysiologically active regions of the slice, bolus loading of neuronal and glial markers was applied on the tissue. SPA-related [Formula: see text] transients were detected in a large population of neighboring neurons with two-photon microscopy, simultaneous with extracellular SPA and intracellular whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. The intracellularly recorded cells were filled for subsequent anatomy. The cells were reconstructed in three dimensions and examined with light- and transmission electron microscopy. Combining high spatial resolution two-photon [Formula: see text] imaging techniques and high temporal resolution extra- and intracellular electrophysiology with cellular anatomy may permit a deeper understanding of the structural and functional properties of the human neocortex.
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Research Centre for Natural Sciences , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Bálint Péter
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kerekes
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Natural Sciences , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Kinga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tóth
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaszás
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chiovini
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szadai
authors.affiliation: Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szalay
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Dénes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pálfi
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience , Department of Neurooncology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagó
authors.affiliation: Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Klaudia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spitzer
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Two-Photon Imaging Center , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Balázs
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rózsa
authors.affiliation: Pázmány Péter Catholic University , Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, H-1083 Budapest, Práter utca 50/a, Hungary ; Research Centre for Natural Sciences , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: István
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ulbert
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Natural Sciences , Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Budapest, Hungary ; National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience , Department of Neurooncology, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wittner
keywords: epilepsy; glutamate uncaging; human; neocortex; synchrony; two-photon imaging