Patch-pipet recording in brain slices

Patch-clamp recording in brain slices provides a powerful approach for investigating the intrinsic electrical properties of neurons and glia and analyzing synaptic interactions between neurons. There are two main methods presently in use to obtain patch-clamp recordings from neuronal or glial cell bodies and their processes in brain slices, both described in this unit. In the blind technique described in this unit, the approach to a cell is performed blindly and recordings are obtained relying purely on electrical cues. Alternatively, the movement of the recording pipet through the brain slice and its placement onto the cell membrane can be performed as described under visual control; this method is usually performed with the aid of differential interference contrast (DIC) optics and is referred to as the DIC technique. Increased resolution of cells and their processes can be obtained by combining DIC optics with infrared illumination and video microscopy techniques. Using either of these methods it is possible to reliably apply the full power of the patch-clamp technique to the study of neurons and glial cells in brain slices.