Research Methods
Human Research
o
Neuroimaging taking a picture of the brain
o Neural Manipulation mechanical relationship between the brain and the spine
(turning on and off of an area to see differences)
Animal Research
o Imaging
o Manipulation
Stereotaxic Surgery
Used to position experimental devices within the brain
Stereotaxic atlas provides coordinates for locating structures within the brain
Bergman a point on the top of the skull often used as a reference point
Stereotaxic instrument used to hold head steady and guide the device to be inserted
Electrical Stimulation
Lesioning can be used to remove, damage, or inactivate a structure
Electrical stimulation may be used to "activate" a structure
Stimulation of a structure may have an effect opposite to that seen when the structure is
lesioned
Invasive Electrophysiological Recording Methods
Intracellular unit recording membrane potential of a neuron
Extracellular unit recording firing of a neuron
Multiple-unit recording firing of many neurons
Invasive EEG recording
Intracellular unit recording
Extracellular unit recording
Multiple-unit recording
Pharmacological Research
Routes of drug administration
Selective chemical lesions
Measuring chemical activity in the brain
Locating neurotransmitters and receptors
Drug Administration
Fed to the stomach
Injected described by injection sight:
o Stomach (intragastric)
o Peritoneal cavity (intraperitoneal, IP)
o Large muscle (intramuscular, IM)
o Tissue under the skin (subcutaneous, sc)
o Large surface vein (intravenous, IV)
Cannula used to administer drug directly to brain Selective Chemical Lesions
Neural poisons (neurotoxins) selectively target specific nervous system components
Kainic or ibotenic acid destroy cell bodies
6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) destroys noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons
Measuring Chemical Activity
2-Deoxyglucose (2-DG) technique
o Inject animal with radioactive 2-DG and allow it to engage in behaviour of interest
o Use autoradiography to see where radioactivity accumulates in brain slices
Cerebral dialysis measures extracellular concentration of specific chemicals in live
animals
Locating Neurotransmitters and Receptors
Dye or radioactive labels used to visualize the protein of interest
Immunocytochemistry based on the binding of labelled protein (specific antibodies)
o Immune response antibodies created that bind and remove/destroy antigens
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