Holographic photo-stimulation for dynamic control of neuronal population activity

• Published in: 2009 4th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering pp. 84 - 87
• Main Authors: Matar, S., Golan, L., Farah, N., Reutsky, I., Shoham, S.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01.04.2009
• Subjects: ChRII; Diffraction; high-rate photo-stimulation; Holographic optical components; Holography; Lighting control; Nervous system; Neurons; Optical control; Optical modulation; Phase modulation; SLM; Spatiotemporal phenomena; two-photon
• ISBN: 1424420725; 9781424420728
• ISSN: 1948-3546; 1948-3554
• DOI: 10.1109/NER.2009.5109240

Spatiotemporal patterns of activity carried across large populations of neurons are the fundamental representation of information within the nervous system. Patterned optical photo-stimulation of neural populations provides a general strategy for controlling such spatial-temporal patterns, but previous realizations of this technology did not allow high-rate, parallel, light-efficient control of large neural populations. To address this challenge, we have been developing a new generation of holographic pattern photo-stimulation systems that use phase-only spatial light modulators (SLM) to create computer-controlled light patterns in two and three dimensions. SLMs use phase modulation and light diffraction to provide a light-efficient method for flexibly creating desired light patterns which can be switched in our systems in millisecond timescales. Holographic photo-stimulation provides a powerful strategy for dynamic patterned photo-stimulation of neural populations and could be used in research and neuroprosthetic interfaces.