Strengthening of synchronized activity by tetanic stimulation in cortical cultures: application of planar electrode arrays

Rat cortical neurons were cultured on planar electrode arrays with 64 embedded electrodes. Whole-cell recording from single neurons and multisite extracellular recording were carried out simultaneously in the cultured cortical networks, and the effects of focal tetanic stimulation of the culture were studied. Both the number of action potentials and the propagation velocity of stimulated bursts were increased after tetanic stimulation. These changes were associated with a marked increase in the number of late components in the synaptic current, but with little or no increase in the early peak synaptic current. The effects of tetanic stimulation were consistent with a widespread increase in the reliability of monosynaptic transmission.