ShEEP request for an Inscopix nVoke Integrated Imaging and Optogenetics System

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Stroke and traumatic brain injury are leading causes of disability among veterans. While there has been substantial research into understanding mechanisms of recovery, there is a relative dearth of studies that delineate the contributions of specific cell types, e.g. excitatory and/or inhibitory subtypes. Such knowledge provides greater insight into the recovery process and can aid the development of targeted interventions. We request the purchase of the Inscopix nVoke Integrated Imaging and Optogenetics System to conduct such investigations. The Inscopix miniature microscope platform gives us an edge in investigating how patterned activity in neuronal ensembles represents information about an individual’s environment, actions, and memories. A key advantage of this system is the ability to image deep neural structures (e.g. striatum, hippocampus) through a flexible scope during freely moving behaviors. Importantly, by monitoring and disrupting activity in the same cells over months, we can gain unprecedented insights into how neural codes evolve during recovery and with therapeutic interventions. A critical aspect of this technology is unprecedented monitoring at a single-cell resolution of identified cell-types; this represents the critical next phase of circuit function dissection.