Simultaneous Electrophysiology and Optogenetic Perturbation of the Same Neurons in Chronically Implanted Animals using μLED Silicon Probes

Abstract

Optogenetics are a powerful tool for testing how a neural circuit influences neural activity, cognition, and behavior. Accordingly, the number of studies employing optogenetic perturbation has grown exponentially over the last decade. However, recent studies have highlighted that the impact of optogenetic stimulation/silencing can vary depending on the construct used, the local microcircuit connectivity, extent/power of illumination, and neuron types perturbed. Despite these caveats, the majority of studies employ optogenetics without simultaneously recording neural activity in the circuit that is being perturbed. This dearth of simultaneously recorded neural data is due in part to technical difficulties in combining optogenetics and extracellular electrophysiology. The recent introduction of μLED silicon probes, which feature independently controllable miniature LEDs embedded at several levels of each of multiple shanks of silicon probes, provides a tractable method for temporally and spatially precise interrogation of neural circuits. Here, we provide a protocol addressing how to perform chronic recordings using micro LED probes. This protocol provides a schematic for performing causal and reproducible interrogations of neural circuits and addresses all phases of the recording process: introduction of optogenetic construct, implantation of the micro LED probe, performing simultaneous optogenetics and electrophysiology in vivo, and post-processing of recorded data.