Abstract
This paper describes a preparation for recording action potentials from the central nervous system of an intact self-respiring fish. The cervical spinal cord of the anesthetized fish was lesioned to minimize body movements, and the brain was exposed by cutting a hole in the dorsal skull. A clamp was attached to the rostral edge of this hole to eliminate motion of the skull. The fish in this preparation can control its own respiration and thus maintain an essentially normal respiratory state. This is a significant improvement over previous preparations, as respiratory state has been shown to be an important determinant of central nervous system function.
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Shefner, J.M., Levine, M.W. A method for obtaining single cell responses in the optic tract of self-respiring fish. Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation 8, 453–455 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202177
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03202177