Introdução à Eletrofisiologia- Abordagem In Vivo

 

Responsável: Ana Rodrigues e Carina Cunha                                            

Nº de participantes por turno: 18

Material necessário: Bata de laboratório

Biografia: Carina Cunha completed my degree in Applied Biology in 2010 (Biology Department, University of Minho) and completed my masters in Health Sciences in 2012 (School of Health Sciences, University of Minho).

After finishing my master I was awarded with a PhD grant, by the Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Diseases (PhDOC), funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). I toke special interest on the role of the nucleus accumbens dopamine receptor D1- and D2-expressing neurons in reward and motivation. In my project (developed at the Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho), supervised by Doctor Ana João Rodrigues and Professor Nuno Sousa, I used an array of techniques, such as in vivo electrophysiology, confocal microscopy, molecular biology, optogenetics and behavioral tools to show that the classic view of D1-D2 opposing roles in motivational processes is too simplistic and that a concerted action of both types of striatal neurons is required for appropriate behavior. Currently I am a post-doc at the ICVS and the major goal of my research is to better understand the neural circuits involved in rewarded behavioral processes, and how manipulation of these circuits can revert reward deficits in animal models of brain dysfunction. During my research I published one master thesis, one PhD thesis and contributed for the publication of eleven peer-review articles (from 2012 to 2016, three as first author).

 

Programa do workshop: 

​

This technique is used to detect the electrophysiological responses of neurons using an electrode.

Single unit recordings can be done either intracellularly or extracellularly:

Whereas extracellular recordings give spike information, intracellular single unit recordings can give information on resting potentials and postsynaptic potentials. The use of either technique depends on the application and what type of information is required.

With extracellular recording, single neurons can usually be isolated and recorded for longer periods of time than intracellular recordings. In addition, and depending on the area, it is possible to detect activity of more than one neuron adjacent to the electrode tip, which can be sorted based on their characteristic waveforms/pattern of firing.

This technique is powerful to better understand how neurons respond to specific stimuli and can be performed in freely moving or anesthetized animals.