Mouse Cortex Surgery
Mouse Cortex Surgery - Related Videos
03:59
Implantation of Electrodes into a Mouse Cortex for Electrocorticographic Recordings
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2025
This video demonstrates a protocol for implanting electrocorticographic electrodes in the mouse cerebral cortex to record electrical signals in response to adeno-associated viruses that target and manipulate cofilin expression.
11:12
Chronic Imaging of Mouse Visual Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation
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Cited by 20 •
2010
In this video and supplemental material, we show a protocol for chronic in vivo imaging of the intact brain using a thinned-skull preparation.
03:48
Isolation of Microglia from the Cortex of an Adult Mouse Brain
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2025
The video demonstrates a technique for isolating microglia from the cortex of an adult mouse brain. First, the cortex undergoes segmentation and homogenization to remove neurons and other glial cells, preserving microglia. Following that, the cell suspension is exposed to anti-myelin magnetic microbeads and a magnetic field, effectively separating microglia and myeloid cells from myelin debris and cells containing myelin.
06:30
Visualization and Genetic Manipulation of Dendrites and Spines in the Mouse Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus using In utero Electroporation
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Cited by 27 •
2012
This article describes in detail a protocol to electroporate in utero the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus at E14.5 in mice. We also show that this is a valuable method to study dendrites and spines in these two cerebral regions.
09:53
Two-Photon in vivo Imaging of Dendritic Spines in the Mouse Cortex Using a Thinned-skull Preparation
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Cited by 19 •
2014
Time-lapse imaging in the living animal provides valuable information on structural reorganization in the intact brain. Here, we introduce a thinned-skull preparation that allows transcranial imaging of fluorescently labeled synaptic structures in the living mouse cortex by two-photon microscopy.
FAQs
Stereotaxic coordinates provide a controlled spatial reference for directing a procedure toward a defined cortical region. This precision helps researchers relate an intervention or measurement to a specific area rather than to the cortex broadly. Accurate targeting is important when interpreting changes in neural activity, cortical anatomy, sensory processing, motor behavior, or disease-related outcomes.
Anesthesia supports controlled procedures in living mice, while secure positioning helps maintain the intended relationship between the animal and the stereotaxic coordinate system. Sterile conditions reduce contamination during access to the cortex. Together, these factors improve procedural control and help researchers distinguish effects associated with the planned cortical manipulation or measurement.
A craniotomy creates access to the selected cortical region so researchers can perform defined experimental procedures. Depending on the study, this access may support cortical recording, stimulation, injection, or lesioning. Because each approach changes or measures the cortex differently, the chosen procedure determines whether the experiment emphasizes neural activity, causal manipulation, anatomy, or disease-related effects.
Cortical procedures allow researchers to examine a defined relationship between brain activity, cortical structure, and observable behavior. Recording can monitor activity, whereas stimulation, injection, or lesioning can alter cortical function or tissue. Comparing these outcomes with sensory or motor behavior helps investigators study neural circuits and evaluate how cortical regions contribute to function.
Planning centers on selecting the cortical region, establishing stereotaxic coordinates, anesthetizing and securing the mouse, and maintaining sterile conditions during access. Researchers then choose the procedure that matches the question, such as recording, stimulation, injection, or lesioning. This sequence aligns the anatomical target, experimental manipulation, and intended measurement before outcomes are interpreted.
The approach is useful when a study must connect a defined cortical region with a functional or disease-related outcome. Researchers can monitor activity, alter cortical tissue or function, and compare resulting changes in behavior or anatomy. These experiments support circuit-level investigations and provide models for examining mechanisms and potential therapies in neurological disease.
Results may include changes in recorded cortical activity, effects of stimulation or injection, consequences of lesioning, or relationships between cortical anatomy and behavior. Interpreting these outcomes together helps researchers determine how a targeted region participates in neural circuits, sensory processing, motor control, or disease mechanisms. The procedure therefore links experimental manipulation to measurable neuroscience findings.