Electrophysiological activity modulation by chemical stimulation in networks of cortical neurons coupled to microelectrode arrays: A biosensor for neuropharmacological applications

Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are a valuable tool for electrophysiological measurements, with the prospect to be used also for pharmacological applications. MEAs are non-invasive and allow monitoring the electrophysiological activity of neurons over a long period. In this work, we analyze the changes in activity patterns of dissociated cortical neurons from rat-embryos induced by the treatment with specific chemicals, acting as agonists and antagonists of glutamate receptors. iled analysis of drugs effects (i.e., 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX); d-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (APV); N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA); α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)) on the neuronal network electrophysiological behavior, in terms of spike and burst activity, is presented. Moreover, a novel approach related to changes in the synchronization level among neuronal units in the network under chemical stimulation, is addressed. The application of chemicals modulates the electrophysiological activity of cortical neuronal networks with respect to the spontaneous activity intrinsically shown by the cultured neurons: this allows a comparison between different experimental sessions and different experimental preparations. The proposed approach and the presented results encourage a more extensive use of in vitro cultured neurons, coupled to MEAs, as biosensing systems for neuropharmacological applications.