Timing is Everything: Stochastic Optogenetic Stimulation Reduces Adaptation in Retinal Ganglion Cells

Abstract

Optogenetics gives us unprecedented power to investigate brain connectivity. The ability to activate neural circuits with single cell resolution and its ease of application has provided a wealth of knowledge in brain function. More recently, optogenetics has shown tremendous utility in prosthetics applications, including vision restoration for patients with retinitis pigmentosa. One of the disadvantages of optogenetics, however, is its poor temporal bandwidth, i.e. the cell's inability to fire at a rate that matches the optical stimulation rate at high frequencies (>30 Hz). This research proposes a new strategy to overcome the temporal limits of optogenetic stimulation. Using whole-cell curr..