Protocol for intra-nerve AAV injection and dorsal root potential recording for optogenetic modulation of the peripheral sensory nerve activity

Optogenetic modulation of peripheral sensory nerve activity holds great potential for revealing the mechanisms underlying sensory disorders, with important implications for developing therapeutic strategies. Here, we present a protocol for applying optogenetic techniques to peripheral sensory nerves using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector. We describe the procedure for gene transduction into dorsal root ganglion neurons via retrograde transport following intra-nerve AAV injection. We then outline a terminal, acute electrophysiological experiment to evaluate optogenetic effects at the dorsal root level. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kosugi et al.¹.