Abstract
The mammalian motor cortex is capable of circuit reorganization driven by acquisition of novel motor skills. Time-lapse imaging of synaptic structures in the living brain provides valuable information on how motor learning rewires synaptic connections and how long-lasting memory is structurally encoded in the intact brain. Here we introduce a transcranial imaging protocol using two-photon laser scanning microscopy to follow fluorescently labeled postsynaptic dendritic spines in vivo. This protocol utilizes a thinned-skull preparation, which allows repetitive imaging of the same synapses over various intervals ranging from hours to years. Furthermore, intracortical microstimulation is performed at the end of repetitive imaging to confirm that images are taken from functionally responsive regions in the motor cortex.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Dr. Denise Garcia and Mr. Andrew Perlik for critical comments on this manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the Ellison Medical Foundation and the DANA Foundation to Y.Z.
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Zuo, Y., Yu, X., Tennant, K., Jones, T. (2013). In Vivo Imaging of Synapse Plasticity in the Mouse Motor Cortex. In: Kohwi, Y., McMurray, C. (eds) Trinucleotide Repeat Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1010. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-411-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-411-1_4
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Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
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Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-411-1
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