Holographic Photo-stimulation for Dynamic Control of Neuronal Population Activity
Published in 4th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (2009) https://doi.org/10.1109/NER.2009.5109240
Abstract
Spatiotemporal patterns of activity carried across large populations of neurons are the fundamental representation of information within the nervous system. Patterned optical photo-stimulation of neural populations provides a general strategy for controlling such spatial-temporal patterns, but previous realizations of this technology did not allow high-rate, parallel, light-efficient control of large neural populations. To address this challenge, we have been developing a new generation of holographic pattern photo-stimulation systems that use phase only spatial light modulators (SLM) to create computer controlled light patterns in two and three dimensions. SLMs use phase modulation and light diffraction to provide a light-efficient method for flexibly creating desired light patterns which can be switched in our systems in millisecond timescales. Holographic photo-stimulation provides a powerful strategy for dynamic patterned photo-stimulation of neural populations and could be used in research and neuroprosthetic interfaces.