Research Methods
 
 
RECORDING METHODS: Macroelectrode registration: cochlear microphonics, summating potentials, compound action potentials, brainstem response audiometry, electromyography Microelectrode registration: multiunit & local field potentials registration with microelectrode arrays, single cell registration using glass microelectrodes of high impedance; Electroencephalographic recordings with low-impedance electrodes. STIMULATION: Auditory, visual & somatosensory stimulation, cochlear implant stimulation, laser stimulation; calibration of acoustic equipment DATA ANALYSIS: Unit activity analysis including spike sorting, peristimulus time analysis, interval histogram analysis, synchronization analysis (to stimulus and between recording sites), correlation analysis, frequency analysis of local field potentials (Fourier & wavelet), PCA & ICA, current source density analysis, FIR & IIR filtering methods and many more. HISTOLOGY: Histological processing of nervous tissue, including standard staining techniques (Nissl, Golgi, COX), use of fluorescent tracers (DiI, DiO, fluoro ruby, fluoro emerald, diamino yelow, etc.) and immunohistochemistry (SMI-32, GFAP, parvalbumine).
Recording equipment includes two Neuralynx Cheetah microelectrode amplifiers (64-channel each), two Alpha-Omega microelectrode amplifiers (96-channel and 32-channel) and three 4-channel auditory and 6-channel cochlear implant stimulation systems based on National Instruments MIO- and DIO-Boards controlled via CVI (Otoconsult Comp., Germany) and MatLab (programmed by A. Kral and R. Land).  Above: Multielectrode recordings allow registration of several neurons at the same time. Using that approach functional „couplings“ within a neuronal assembly can be investigated. Complex correlational analysis of neuronal activity are necessary to reveal such functional relations. 
methods used in our laboratory:
Our work receives support from „Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft“, Germany, National Institute of Health, USA (together with Prof. S.G.Lomber) & cochlear implant industry (MedEl Corp., Innsbruck, Austria & Cochlear GmbH, Basel, Switzerland)

Left: SMI-32 monoclonal antibody staining in the cortex. Stained neurons are mainly located in layers III and V.