Wireless Optogenetics
Wireless Optogenetics - Related Videos
07:52
In Vivo Wireless Optogenetic Control of Skilled Motor Behavior
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2021
The present protocol describes how to use wireless optogenetics combined with high-speed videography in a single pellet reach-to-grasp task to characterize the neural circuits involved in the performance of skilled motor behavior in freely moving mice.
06:06
Optogenetic Functional MRI
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Cited by 15 •
2016
This protocol describes the steps and data analysis required to successfully perform optogenetic functional magnetic resonance imaging (ofMRI). ofMRI is a novel technique that combines high-field fMRI readout with optogenetic stimulation, allowing for cell type-specific mapping of functional neural circuits and their dynamics across the whole living brain.
05:32
A Detailed Protocol for Perspiration Monitoring Using a Novel, Small, Wireless Device
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Cited by 1 •
2016
Recently, we developed a small wireless device for perspiration monitoring. In this article, we present detailed protocols on how to use the device for perspiration monitoring with an example of the sympathetic activity test.
03:39
Implanting a Wireless Bidirectional Microelectrode System in a Rat Brain
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2025
The video demonstrates a procedure for implanting a wireless bidirectional multichannel electrode unit into a rat brain to record and stimulate multichannel neural networks.
02:30
Optogenetic Control of Hippocampal Network Dynamics
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2025
This video demonstrates the method to use optogenetics to modulate hippocampal network dynamics by activating genetically modified light-sensitive interneurons in a mouse brain slice, enhancing theta oscillation synchronization and studying neural circuit behavior.
FAQs
Opsins provide the light-sensitive control point in genetically targeted neurons. When the implanted light source delivers an appropriate wavelength, the opsin changes ion conductance across the cell membrane. Depending on the expressed light-sensitive protein, this change can increase or suppress neuronal activity, allowing investigators to test how selected cells influence a circuit.
The delivered wavelength determines whether the light-sensitive opsin responds and therefore whether neuronal ion conductance changes. Matching the light to the expressed opsin is essential for producing the intended activation or inhibition. This relationship lets experiments connect a controlled optical stimulus with subsequent changes in circuit activity, physiology, or behavior.
Its major experimental advantage is the removal of a physical connection between the animal and external equipment during stimulation. That reduction in constraint allows neural circuits to be manipulated while animals move more freely, making it better suited for examining complex behaviors and brain-related processes in settings that are less affected by tethering.
A typical experiment must coordinate genetic targeting of selected neurons, implantation of a remotely controlled light source, delivery of the wavelength matched to the expressed opsin, and observation of the resulting response. Researchers can then pair stimulation with behavioral, physiological, or network-level recording to relate circuit manipulation to measurable outcomes.
The resulting effects can be assessed at several levels rather than through behavior alone. Investigators may examine changes in behavior, physiology, or broader network function after triggering the implanted device. Combining these readouts helps determine how manipulating a defined neuronal population influences the animal and the activity of connected neural systems.
Wireless optogenetics is particularly useful when the research question concerns freely moving animals, complex behaviors, or brain disorders. It enables investigators to manipulate genetically selected circuits without the physical constraints of wired equipment, while still examining behavioral and neural consequences. This makes circuit-level experiments more compatible with naturalistic movement and interaction.