The study “Longitudinal changes in electrophysiology and widefield calcium imaging following electrode implantation” by Dr. Tracy Cui’s and Dr Vazquez’s Labs investigates how implanted intracortical electrodes influence neural activity over time. Researchers combined widefield calcium imaging with electrophysiological recordings in awake mice from 4 to 44 days post-implantation to examine how neural circuits adapt to electrode presence.
Using 4-shank, 16-channel NeuroNexus silicon electrode arrays, they recorded neural signals while assessing cortical activity through GCaMP-based calcium imaging. Their findings show that electrophysiology and calcium imaging are highly correlated, but the spatial patterns of this correlation change over time, likely due to the brain’s injury response and subsequent recovery. Early post-implantation phases exhibited high neuronal synchrony, while later phases showed more diverse neural activity patterns.
This study provides key insights into how implanted electrodes impact neural circuits, with implications for improving long-term stability and signal quality in brain-computer interfaces and neuroprosthetics. The high-density NeuroNexus probes enabled precise recordings, making them a valuable tool for understanding the evolving neurophysiological landscape after implantation.
