Monday 26 August 2024

New microscope offers faster, high-resolution brain imaging Enhanced two-photon microscopy method could reveal insights into neural dynamics and neurological diseases

 Researchers have developed a new two-photon fluorescence microscope that captures high-speed images of neural activity at cellular resolution. By imaging much faster and with less harm to brain tissue than traditional two-photon microscopy, the new approach could provide a clearer view of how neurons communicate in real time, leading to new insights into brain function and neurological diseases.

"Our new microscope is ideally suited for studying the dynamics of neural networks in real time, which is crucial for understanding fundamental brain functions such as learning, memory and decision-making," said research team leader Weijian Yang from the University of California, Davis. "For example, researchers could use it to observe neural activity during learning to better understand communication and interaction among different neurons during this process." in optica Optica Publishing Group's journal for high-impact research, the researchers describe the new two-photon fluorescence microscope, which incorporates a new adaptive sampling scheme and replaces traditional point illumination with line illumination. They show that the new method enables in vivo imaging of neuronal activity in a mouse cortex and can image at speeds ten times faster than traditional two-photon microscopy while also reducing the laser power on the brain more than tenfold.

"By providing a tool that can observe neuronal activity in real time, our technology could be used to study the pathology of diseases at the earliest stages," said Yunyang Li, the first author of the paper. "This could help researchers better understand and more effectively treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and epilepsy."

sources-science daily

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