Optogenetic Mapping of Functional Connectivity in Freely Moving Mice via Insertable Wrapping Electrode Array Beneath the Skull

Spatiotemporal mapping of neural interactions through electrocorticography (ECoG) is the key to understanding brain functions and disorders. For the entire brain cortical areas, this approach has been challenging, especially in freely moving states, owing to the need for extensive craniotomy. Here, we introduce a flexible microelectrode array system, termed iWEBS, which can be inserted through a small cranial slit and stably wrap onto the curved cortical surface. Using iWEBS, we measured dynamic changes of signals across major cortical domains, namely, somatosensory, motor, visual and retrosplenial areas, in freely moving mice. iWEBS robustly displayed somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) in corresponding cortical areas to specific somatosensory stimuli. We also used iWEBS for mapping functional interactions between cortical areas in the propagation of spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs), the neurological marker of absence seizures, triggered by optogenetic inhibition of a specific thalamic nucleus. This demonstrates that iWEBS represents a significant improvement over conventional ECoG recording methodologies and, therefore, is a competitive recording system for mapping wide-range brain connectivity under various behavioral conditions.