Action potential propagation recorded from single axonal arbors using multielectrode arrays

Abstract

We report the presence of co-occurring extracellular action potentials (eAPs) from cultured mouse hippocampal neurons among groups of planar electrodes on multielectrode arrays (MEAs). The invariant sequences of eAPs among coactive electrode groups, repeated co-occurrences, and short interelectrode latencies are consistent with action potential propagation in unmyelinated axons. Repeated eAP codetection by multiple electrodes was widespread in all our data records. Codetection of eAPs confirms they result from the same neuron and allows these eAPs to be isolated from all other spikes independently of spike sorting algorithms. We averaged co-occurring events and revealed additional electrodes with eAPs that would otherwise be below detection threshold. We used these eAP cohorts to explore the temperature sensitivity of action potential propagation and the relationship between voltage-gated sodium channel density and propagation velocity. The sequence of eAPs among coactive electrodes “fingerprints” neurons giving rise to these events and identifies them within neuronal ensembles. We used this property and the noninvasive nature of extracellular recording to monitor changes in excitability at multiple points in single axonal arbors simultaneously over several hours, demonstrating independence of axonal segments. Over several weeks, we recorded changes in interelectrode propagation latencies and ongoing changes in excitability in different regions of single axonal arbors. Our work illustrates how repeated eAP co-occurrences can be used to extract physiological data from single axons with low-density MEAs. However, repeated eAP co-occurrences lead to oversampling spikes from single neurons and thus can confound traditional spike-train analysis.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2018
Source ID
10.1152/jn.00659.2017

Entities

People

  • Bian Wu
  • Connor Randall
  • Daniel C Bridges
  • Jiwon Jang
  • Kenneth R. Tovar
  • Kenneth S. Kosik
  • Morgane Audouard
  • Paul K. Hansma

Organizations

  • University of California
  • University of California, Santa Barbara

Tags

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Cognitive Aging in the Guam and Border Populations Affected by Alzheimer's Disease and Tau-Associated Dementias.