Abstract
Imaging approaches have revolutionized neuroscience research. The discovery and development of dyes, fluorescent proteins, light-activated proteins (optogenetics), as well as transgenic animals with subset of cells expressing fluorescent proteins allows scientists to probe the structure and function of neurons with ever-increasing specificity. The ability to perform such investigations in intact animals affords linkages between cellular form and function to the dynamics of neural networks, animal behavior, and disease. Two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) is amongst the best approaches available for high-resolution imaging of neurons and other cells that provides spatiotemporal information in the intact brain not feasible by other methods.
The objective of this chapter is to address the following questions:
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1.
Why is there a need for TPLSM for in vivo imaging?
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How does TPLSM work?
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What are its common applications?
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4.
How to perform in vivo imaging of the brain using TPLSM?
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Dunaevsky, A. (2014). Multiphoton Brain Imaging. In: Xiong, H., Gendelman, H.E. (eds) Current Laboratory Methods in Neuroscience Research. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8794-4_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8794-4_22
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