The unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration (NSI) is a new laboratory being established at the NIMH. This laboratory will utilize cutting-edge electrophysiological studies to determine how information is processed by the brain at the cellular, microcircuit, and systems levels to ultimately understand the computations that drive physiological behavior and psychiatric disorders. We utilize whole-cell slice electrophysiology in combination with other techniques, including optogenetics, UV uncaging, transgenic mice, viral approaches, and pharmacology to dissect how synapses and intrinsic factors that control excitability in neurons are regulated by receptors that are implicated in psychiatric disorders and are the major target of most pharmacological treatments for this disease. Electrophysiology is currently the only tool that allows neuroscientists to study synapses and intrinsic factors that control excitability with sub-millisecond temporal and single cell resolution. Electrical signals detected by electrophysiological methods are typically very small in size (µV or pA) and need cutting-edge electronics (amplifier, digitizer, and software) with increased signal to noise ratio to achieve this.

As the NSI will utilize whole-cell slice electrophysiology as a means to dissect the function of neuronal circuits implicated in psychiatric disorders, we seek to acquire four electrophysiology amplifiers, digitizers, and data software packages with all the components necessary to successfully execute this cutting-edge technique.