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Recording live neurons: the SpikeRecorder app

A project log for Neuroscience of Grasshopper Jumps

Why are grasshoppers so hard to catch? Let's explore the visual neurons behind the grasshopper's escape mechanism!

dieu-my-nguyenDieu My Nguyen 08/24/2016 at 23:310 Comments

In the project instructions, I've briefly talked about the BYB SpikeRecorder app that I've been using on an iPad to add to my grasshopper vision project the flavor of a low-cost-and-DIY-albeit-of-great-quality tool. Here, I'll talk about it in a bit more details to give the spotlight to one of the main components of my project.

Firstly, the purpose of the original SpikeRecorder version that BYB has published is to record data directly to your PC (or tablets & smartphones) while you can observe the recording in real time. There's also the functionality of saving the recording to be played back anytime. And if you're familiar with the classic model of an action potential (aka spikes!), the SpikeRecorder also allows a threshold view, where you can set your threshold and get a snapshot of your spikes.

This is a classic "spike" event when the electrochemical properties of a neuron is at work. These spikes are essentially changes in voltage due to the chemical and electrical difference inside and outside of a neuron's membrane. Movements of sodium and potassium across the membrane via channels and the way their charges get distributed -- these are the main components of a spike.

Art by Backyard Brains

If you're interested in checking out this app and perhaps get some spikes, the app is available for android and ios. And of course, the code is on github for the open source spirit!

One of my mentors, Stanislav Mircic, is the computer science god of BYB. He graciously added the "Grasshopper experiment" functionality to the app. The app now can provide both the visual stimuli (simulated balls thrown at grasshopper's eye) and recording/analysis of the DCMD neuron activity.

Sorting a bunch of spikes at once:

Zooming into one DCMD spike!

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