Measuring Brain Glutamate Levels Under Anesthesia in Neonatal Piglets Using a Microelectrode Array

Source: Geyer, E. D., et al. Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain. J. Vis. Exp. (2018). This video demonstrates the measurement of glutamate levels in the brain of an anesthetized neonatal piglet using a microelectrode array (MEA). The procedure involves creating a craniotomy window in the pig skull and inserting the MEA into the brain region of interest. The glutamate-oxidase-coated recording sites of the MEA convert extracellular brain glutamate to hydrogen peroxide, which generates a measurable current. This current is measured and normalized against background noise to determine brain glutamate levels under anesthesia.