Installation of Optical Windows in the Brain of Transgenic Mice to Image Neural Activities

Source: Lin, X., et al. Imaging Neural Activity in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex Using Thy1-GCaMP6s Transgenic Mice. J. Vis. Exp. (2019). This video demonstrates the brain's neural activity recording through an optical window in transgenic mice. The mice express a fluorescent protein that enables the detection of neural activities. A small portion of the skull is carefully removed to install an optical window, and the skull is then covered with black cement to block light before imaging.