In Vitro Patch-Clamp

The patch-clamp technique is one of the most useful tools to analyze the function of electrically active cells such as neurons. This technique allows for the analysis of proteins (ion channels and receptors), cells (neurons), and synapses that are the building blocks of neuronal networks. Cortical development involves coordinated changes in functional measures at each of these levels of analysis that reflect both cellular and circuit maturation. This chapter explains the technical and theoretical basis of patch-clamp methodology and introduces several examples of how this technique can be applied in the context of cortical development.