Hybrid Neuronal Network Studies Under Dynamic Clamp

Even a complete understanding of the biophysical properties driving neuronal behavior would be insufficient to explain the interactions between neurons, neuronal assemblies, and brain regions. Exploring interactions between small numbers of synaptically coupled neurons in vitro can provide insight into the in vivo activity of neuronal assemblies. However, pairs of synaptically coupled neurons are notoriously difficult to find in vitro, and trying to study networks of more than two neurons is nearly impossible. The advent of the dynamic-clamp technique enables researchers to generate hybrid networks of neurons in which living neurons are synaptically coupled through computationally generated synapses. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the components of a dynamic-clamp system. We detail how to use dynamic clamp to construct simple neuronal networks from living neurons as well as hybrid networks including both living and in silico neurons.