Patch-clamp recording from neuronal dendrites.

Pyramidal neurons of the central nervous system have extensively arborized apical dendrites that contribute importantly to the signaling properties of the neuron. Recent advances in electrophysiological techniques have allowed recording from neuronal dendrites. These techniques depend on using infrared optics to visualize dendritic processes in the unstained brain slice preparation, on pipet positioning with high resolution micromanipulators, and on stringent techniques for brain slice preparation that preserved healthy dendritic processes, even in tissue from mature animals. The procedures underlying these techniques are described in this unit. Keywords: dendrites; patch-clamp recording; brain slice; hippocampus; IR-DIC microscopy