Photothermal effects and functional neuroimaging using large field two-photon microscopy in mice

By paying careful attention to optical and mechanical design, a two-photon microscope (TPM) can image a large field of view (FOV) with high spatial and temporal resolution. Successfully applying such a TPM for functional neuroimaging requires careful consideration of the signal properties, physiological limitations, and image processing techniques. We present our thermal imaging results as well as functional imaging results in awake mice using a fast, large FOV TPM, and discuss how the system expands the spatial bandwidth available for studying functional connectivity.