In Vitro Neuronal Depolarization And Increased Synaptic Activity Induced By Infrared Neural Stimulation

Neuronal responses to infrared neural stimulation (INS) are explored at the single cell level. We examined membrane and synaptic responses of solitary tract neurons prepared from the Sprague-Dawley rat. Neurons were stimulated using a 1890 nm laser with light delivered via single-mode fiber. We show that infrared radiation increased spontaneous synaptic event frequency, and evoked steady-state currents. The magnitude of the responses was proportional to laser output.