Tetrode recordings in the cerebellar cortex

Abstract

Multi-unit recordings with tetrodes have been used in brain studies for many years, but surprisingly, scarcely in the cerebellum. The cerebellum is subdivided in multiple small functional zones. Understanding the proper features of the cerebellar computations requires a characterization of neuronal activity within each area. By allowing simultaneous recordings of neighboring cells, tetrodes provide a helpful technique to study the dynamics of the cerebellar local networks. Here, we discuss experimental configurations to optimize such recordings and demonstrate their use in the different layers of the cerebellar cortex. We show that tetrodes can also be used to perform simultaneous recordings from neighboring units in freely moving rats using a custom-made drive, thus permitting studies of cerebellar network dynamics in a large variety of behavioral conditions.