Slice preparation

The slice preparation or brain slice is a laboratory technique in electrophysiology that allows the study of neurons from various brain regions in isolation from the rest of the brain, in an ex-vivo condition. Brain tissue is initially sliced via a tissue slicer then immersed in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) for stimulation and/or recording.^[1] The technique allows for greater experimental control, through elimination of the effects of the rest of the brain on the circuit of interest, careful control of the physiological conditions through perfusion of substrates through the incubation fluid, to precise manipulation of neurotransmitter activity through perfusion of agonists and antagonists. However, the increase in control comes with a decrease in the ease with which the results can be applied to the whole neural system.^[2]

^ Schwartzkroin, Philip A. (1975). "Characteristics of CA1 neurons recorded intracellularly in the hippocampalin vitro slice preparation". Brain Research. 85 (3): 423–436. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(75)90817-3. PMID 1111846. S2CID 30478336.
^ Edwards, F. A.; Konnerth, A.; Sakmann, B.; Takahashi, T. (1989). "A thin slice preparation for patch clamp recordings from neurones of the mammalian central nervous system". Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology. 414 (5): 600–612. doi:10.1007/BF00580998. hdl:11858/00-001M-0000-002C-2F28-1. PMID 2780225. S2CID 2616816.

[1] Schwartzkroin, Philip A. (1975). "Characteristics of CA1 neurons recorded intracellularly in the hippocampalin vitro slice preparation". Brain Research. 85 (3): 423–436. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(75)90817-3. PMID 1111846. S2CID 30478336.

[2] Edwards, F. A.; Konnerth, A.; Sakmann, B.; Takahashi, T. (1989). "A thin slice preparation for patch clamp recordings from neurones of the mammalian central nervous system". Pflügers Archiv European Journal of Physiology. 414 (5): 600–612. doi:10.1007/BF00580998. hdl:11858/00-001M-0000-002C-2F28-1. PMID 2780225. S2CID 2616816.

[1]

[2]