Neuroscience Resources for Kids

Neuroscience Methods

Neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology,neurophysiology...techniques, methods and procedures. Neuroscientists usea variety of techniques from the fields of chemistry, physiology,psychology and anatomy. The following table lists some of the methods thatneuroscientists use in their daily work.

Behavioral Neuroscience
Techniques to study the neural basis of behavior.
Method Description
Stereotaxic Surgery Surgery performed using an atlas showing the location of brain areas in 3 planes of space. Used to place recording or stimulating electrodes or to destroy a particular part of the brain.
Lesion Production Destruction of a particular part of the brain. Lesions can beproduced by passing electrical current (AC or DC) through an electrode orwith chemicals (such as kainic acid or 6-hydroxydopamine) that destroyneurons. A lesion can also be made surgically by cutting a tract or by suction removal of part of the brain. Areversible lesion can be made by cooling (then rewarming) part of thebrain or by injecting drugs (such as lidocaine).

Electrical Brain Stimulation Stimulation of a brain area by passing electrical current through an electrode.
Microinjection Injection of a small quantities of drug or neurotransmitter into aspecific area of the brain.

Behavioral Neuroscience Techniques to study the neural basis of behavior.
Method	Description
Stereotaxic Surgery	Surgery performed using an atlas showing the location of brain areas in 3 planes of space. Used to place recording or stimulating electrodes or to destroy a particular part of the brain.
Lesion Production	Destruction of a particular part of the brain. Lesions can beproduced by passing electrical current (AC or DC) through an electrode orwith chemicals (such as kainic acid or 6-hydroxydopamine) that destroyneurons. A lesion can also be made surgically by cutting a tract or by suction removal of part of the brain. Areversible lesion can be made by cooling (then rewarming) part of thebrain or by injecting drugs (such as lidocaine).
Electrical Brain Stimulation	Stimulation of a brain area by passing electrical current through an electrode.
Microinjection	Injection of a small quantities of drug or neurotransmitter into aspecific area of the brain.

Neuroanatomy
Techniques to study the structure of the nervoussystem.
Method Description Examples
Cell Body Staining Coloring neurons to see individual neurons (nerve cells) or groups of neurons. Cresyl violet stain; neutral red stain; Golgi stain
Tract (Myelin) Staining Coloring nerve fibers to see pathways. Weil method; Weigert's myelin stain; Marchi stain
Tract Tracing Tracing the projections from one part of the nervous system to another part. Tracing can be retrograde (backwards) or anterograde (forwards). Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method; fluorescent microspheres; Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) method; Fluoro-Gold; Cholera B-toxin; DiI; tritiated amino acids

Electron Microscopy Electrons passed through tissue to produce more detailedimages
Immunocytochemistry Localizing particular chemicals (neurotransmitters, proteins) within particular neurons.

In situ hybridization Localizing the synthesis of proteins or peptides inneurons.
c-Fos c-Fos is a protein product of an immediate-early gene and has beenused as a marker for brain areas activated by different stimuli. To seethe c-Fos, immunocytochemical techniques must be used.
Deoxyglucose Uptake Neurons that are active use glucose. By injecting deoxyglucose, thecells that use glucose also take up the deoxyglucose. However, thedeoxyglucose is not degraded by enzymes in the neurons so it stays insidethe neuron. By radioactively labeling the deoxyglucose, neuroscientistcan find out what areas of the brain are active during specific behaviorsor events.

Neuroanatomy Techniques to study the structure of the nervoussystem.
Method	Description	Examples
Cell Body Staining	Coloring neurons to see individual neurons (nerve cells) or groups of neurons.	Cresyl violet stain; neutral red stain; Golgi stain
Tract (Myelin) Staining	Coloring nerve fibers to see pathways.	Weil method; Weigert's myelin stain; Marchi stain
Tract Tracing	Tracing the projections from one part of the nervous system to another part. Tracing can be retrograde (backwards) or anterograde (forwards).	Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method; fluorescent microspheres; Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) method; Fluoro-Gold; Cholera B-toxin; DiI; tritiated amino acids
Electron Microscopy	Electrons passed through tissue to produce more detailedimages
Immunocytochemistry	Localizing particular chemicals (neurotransmitters, proteins) within particular neurons.
In situ hybridization	Localizing the synthesis of proteins or peptides inneurons.
c-Fos	c-Fos is a protein product of an immediate-early gene and has beenused as a marker for brain areas activated by different stimuli. To seethe c-Fos, immunocytochemical techniques must be used.
Deoxyglucose Uptake	Neurons that are active use glucose. By injecting deoxyglucose, thecells that use glucose also take up the deoxyglucose. However, thedeoxyglucose is not degraded by enzymes in the neurons so it stays insidethe neuron. By radioactively labeling the deoxyglucose, neuroscientistcan find out what areas of the brain are active during specific behaviorsor events.

Here is an example of the tracttracingmethod using a chemical calledhorseradish peroxidase (HRP). Using a smallsyringe, neuroscientists place HRP a small area of the brain. Neuronsthat project to this area will "pick up" the HRP and transport it back tothe cell body (the soma). This is a form of retrograde transport sinceit determines what areas of the brain connect with other areas of thebrain by transporting material "backwards" from the terminal of theneuron to the cell body.

Neurophysiology
Techniques to understand the function of the nervoussystem.
Method Description
Patch Clamp Technique Recording current flow from single ion channels of a neuron.
Intracellular Recording Electrical recording from INSIDE of a single neuron.
Extracellular Recording Electrical recording from outside of a single (or a few) neuron.
Mass Unit Recording Electrical recording from outside of a group of neurons.
EvokedPotentials Electrical activity of the brain synchronized to an event. [Description of Auditory Evoked Potential Test]

Electroencephalography (EEG) Electrical activity of the brain recorded with scalp or brain electrodes. Here is an example of an EEG recording and here is another EEG example. The EEG can also be used to map thebrain.

Neurophysiology Techniques to understand the function of the nervoussystem.
Method	Description
Patch Clamp Technique	Recording current flow from single ion channels of a neuron.
Intracellular Recording	Electrical recording from INSIDE of a single neuron.
Extracellular Recording	Electrical recording from outside of a single (or a few) neuron.
Mass Unit Recording	Electrical recording from outside of a group of neurons.
EvokedPotentials	Electrical activity of the brain synchronized to an event. [Description of Auditory Evoked Potential Test]
Electroencephalography (EEG)	Electrical activity of the brain recorded with scalp or brain electrodes. Here is an example of an EEG recording and here is another EEG example. The EEG can also be used to map thebrain.

Neuropharmacology
Techniques to understand the chemistry of the nervoussystem.
Method Description
Microiontophoresis Injection of small quantities of chemicals (drugs, neurotransmitter) into neural tissue by passing electrical current.

Neuropharmacology Techniques to understand the chemistry of the nervoussystem.
Method	Description
Microiontophoresis	Injection of small quantities of chemicals (drugs, neurotransmitter) into neural tissue by passing electrical current.

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Exploring theNervous System