Electrical stimulation of patterned neuronal networks in vitro

The implementation of functional neuronal circuits in vitro is a challenging task but also attractive in that these may become valuable tools for studying the fundamental principles of the neural coding in neural networks. The creation and characterization of simple neuronal circuits are the first steps toward this goal. Cultures that are geometrically controlled, or patterned, constitute a starting point. These networks develop spontaneous activities after two weeks in vitro. In this study, two different patterns of neuronal networks have been produced and their network activities were studied. The evoked responses by electrical stimulation as well as spontaneous activities were detected and analyzed.