Electrode-Produced Signal Distortion in Electrophysiological Recording Systems

Although microelectrodes have been in use for many years and there is a wealth of literature concerning their fabrication and application, there is little reported on waveform distortion produced by these electrodes. This paper reports experimental studies conducted to determine the effects of ac electrode polarization in microelectrode recording systems. Electrode materials are examined as well as other system factors such as the use of negative-input-capacitance (NIC) preamplifiers, stimulus isolation units (SIU), and electrode contact integrity.