FOR the first time the activities of individual brain cells have been monitored in real time, thanks to a new technique. The study has revealed striking differences between rats and cats in the part of the brain that enables them to spot movement.
The researchers injected a dye into the surface of an animal’s brain. Nerve cells absorb the dye and light up whenever they are active and awash with calcium ions. That makes it possible to monitor the activity of individual neurons near the surface of the brain with a microscope when the skull is opened. No other method…
