Optogenetic Tools for Confined Stimulation in Deep Brain Structures

Optogenetics has emerged in the past decade as a technique to modulate brain activity with cell-type specificity and with high temporal resolution. Among the challenges associated with this technique is the difficulty to target a spatially restricted neuron population. Indeed, light absorption and scattering in biological tissues make it difficult to illuminate a minute volume, especially in the deep brain, without the use of optical fibers to guide light. This work describes the design and the in vivo application of a side-firing optical fiber adequate for delivering light to specific regions within a brain subcortical structure.