Long-Term Continuous Electroencephalography Monitoring in a Rodent Pup

Take a rodent pup with a wireless electroencephalogram or EEG transmitter implanted in its skull.

The transmitter contains electrodes that extend to the brain's surface. Two recording electrodes monitor the electrical activity of neurons, and one reference electrode helps reduce signal noise.

Place a transmitter-implanted pup in a cage inside a recording chamber. The chamber contains a wireless receiver base connected to a data acquisition system that receives signals wirelessly.

Place non-implanted pups in the cage to reduce stress from isolation for the transmitter-implanted pup and start acquiring signals.

Neurotransmitters released at the synapses bind to receptors on postsynaptic neurons, inducing an ion influx that changes the membrane potential, termed postsynaptic potential.

The electrodes record postsynaptic potentials from a large number of neurons extracellularly. The summed synaptic activity of neighboring neurons is recorded as EEG signals.

The miniature transmitter allows continuous monitoring of EEG signals throughout the pup's development into adulthood.