A state-dependent trigger for electrophysiological recording at predetermined membrane potentials

This paper describes the circuitry and construction of a novel electronic threshold discriminator, and details its specific application to in vivo intracellular recording. The discriminator reliably triggers electrophysiological recording at pre-selectable membrane potentials in neuronal systems that exhibit membrane potential oscillations. It has been used successfully whilst recording from spiny projection neurons of the striatum to measure membrane properties and trigger electrical stimulation within either of two discrete membrane potential “states”. The device works by comparing the analogue membrane potential waveform with a user-defined threshold membrane potential, and outputs a logic signal to flag the occurrence of a threshold-crossing event. This signal is used to trigger the commencement of episodic recording and the application of current injection or electrical stimulation at a consistent membrane potential. Thus, the discriminator acts as a functional clamp to isolate evoked responses from endogenous fluctuations in membrane potential. The unit uses cheap and easily available components and can be constructed with the minimum of electronics experience. It could be adapted to isolate discrete events within any oscillatory system.