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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
05:52
Multi-Fiber Photometry to Record Neural Activity in Freely-Moving Animals
Published on: October 20, 2019
A Dual-Readout Near-Infrared Fluorescent Fiber Probe for High Spatiotemporal Resolution Neurotransmitter Mapping
Seyoung Shin1, Yeji Kim2, Jeongeun Yoo3
1School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
ACS Nano
|July 27, 2026
Summary
We developed a novel sensing platform, the Neural Remote Imaging Fiber Interface (NeuRIFI), to map dopamine (DA) fields in the brain. This technology overcomes limitations of current methods by providing both localized and spatial neurochemical signal detection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Chemical Sensing
Background:
- Neuromodulators like dopamine (DA) influence brain circuits via volume transmission, creating complex spatial fields.
- Conventional methods (voltammetry, photometry) reduce multidimensional neurochemical dynamics to single-point signals, losing spatial information.
- Understanding spatially distributed neuromodulator fields is crucial for deciphering brain function and dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a dual-readout near-infrared (NIR) sensing platform, NeuRIFI, for simultaneous localized neurochemical detection and field-level spatial interpretation.
- To overcome the limitations of existing techniques in capturing the spatial dynamics of neuromodulators.
- To enable high spatiotemporal resolution mapping of neurochemical transport in deep brain structures.
Main Methods:
- Developed NeuRIFI, a platform using implantable optical fibers functionalized with DNA-functionalized SWCNT nanosensors for NIR fluorescence emission.
- Enabled synchronous fiber-guided photometry (localized reference) and remote NIR imaging (spatial information) without genetic labeling.
- Validated the platform using tissue phantoms and ex vivo mouse brains, achieving deep-brain signal acquisition at 3 mm depth.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated reliable deep-brain signal acquisition and validated the dual-readout architecture.
- Achieved high spatiotemporal resolution mapping of transient DA flux with 20 ms temporal resolution and ~1.5 μm spatial resolution.
- Reported a concentration sensitivity of 90 nM, enabling detailed analysis of neurochemical transport.
Conclusions:
- NeuRIFI provides a framework linking point-validated sensing to remotely observable spatial structures for neurochemical fields.
- The platform offers spatial accessibility for studying complex neurochemical landscapes in deep brain regions.
- This technology extends neurochemical field mapping capabilities, paving the way for in vivo applications.
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