Neuronal Activity Monitor

One of the most formidable problems in neuroscience is to understand the relationship between neural activity and behavior. Behaviors are typically produced by activity in large numbers of neurons, which are often spread widely throughout the brain and spinal cord (as well as in the periphery). The patterns of neural activity during behavior have been the subject of intense study with invasive recording techniques. Systems neuroscience has experienced a revolution in the development of novel tools for imaging and recording neuronal activity in animals. These genetically encoded tools for monitoring neuronal activity capitalize upon the sequences of molecular events following neuronal activation. Each of these tools takes different approaches to capture neural activity and thus have their own unique challenges.