Skip to main content
Log in

Neuroscience and the Art of Single Cell Recordings

  • Published:
Biology and Philosophy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article examines how scientists move from physical measurementsto actual observation of single-cell recordings in the brain. We highlight how easy it is to change the fundamental nature of ourobservations using accepted methodological techniques for manipulatingraw data. Collecting single-cell data is thoroughly pragmatic. Weconclude that there is no deep or interesting difference betweenaccounting for observations by measurements and accounting forobservations by theories.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bogen, J. and Woodward, J.: 1988, ‘Saving the Phenomena’, Philosophical Review 97, 303–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogen, J. and Woodward, J.: 1992, ‘Observations, Theories, and the Evolution of the Human Spirit’, Philosophy of Science 59, 590–611.

    Google Scholar 

  • Connors, B.W. and Gutnick, M.J.: 1990, ‘Intrinsic Firing Patterns of Diverse Neocortical Neurons’, Trends in Neuroscience 13, 99–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duhem, P.: 1954, The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory, trans. by P.P. Wiener, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Churchland, P.: 1988, ‘Perceptual Plasticity and Theoretical Neutrality: A Reply to Jerry Fodor’, Philosophy of Science 55, 167–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evarts, E.V.: 1968, ‘A Technique for Recording Activity of Subcortical Neurons in Moving Animals’, Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurology 24, 83–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fee, M.S., Mitra, P.P. and Kleinfeld, D.: 1996, ‘Variability of Extracellular Spike Waveforms of Cortical Neurons’, Journal of Neurophysiology 76, 3823–3833.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galison, P.: 1987, How Experiments End. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, C.M., Maldonado, P.E., Wilson, M. and McNaughton, B.: 1995, ‘Tetrodes Markedly Improve the Reliability and Yield of Multiple Single Unit Isolation from Multi-unit Recordings in Cat Striate Cortex’, Journal of Neuroscience Methods 63, 43–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewicki, M.S.: 1998, ‘A Review of Methods for Spike Sorting: The Detection and Classification of Neural Action Potentials’, Network: Computational Neural Systems 9, R53–R78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quirk, M.C. and Wilson, M.A.: 1999, ‘Interaction between Spike Waveform Classification and Temporal Sequence Detection’, Journal of Neuroscience Methods 94, 41–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spruston, N., Schiller, Y., Stuart, G. and Sakmann, B.: 1995, ‘Activity-dependent Action Potential Invasion and Calcium Influx into Hippocampal CA1 Dendrites’, Science 286, 297–300.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, J.: 1989, ‘Data and Phenomena’, Synthese 79, 393–472.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hardcastle, V.G., Stewart, C.M. Neuroscience and the Art of Single Cell Recordings. Biology & Philosophy 18, 195–208 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023356317286

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023356317286

Navigation