Transient alterations in slow oscillations of hippocampal networks by low-frequency stimulations on multi-electrode arrays

Slow oscillations in the hippocampus are correlated with memory consolidation and brain diseases. The characteristic firings of the hippocampal network in vitro are still poorly understood. Here, spontaneous oscillations (~0.004 Hz) were found in high-density hippocampal networks by multi-electrode arrays after 30 days in vitro. This kind of spontaneous activity was characterized by periodic synchronized superbursts, which persisted for approximately 60 s at long intervals. Additionally, 1-Hz stimulation (duration <120 s) could regulate these network-wide oscillatory activities by triggering the next synchronized superbursts prematurely. The results demonstrated that the slow oscillatory activities in hippocampal cultures could be regulated by external stimulation, which indicates that multi-electrode arrays provide a well-suited platform for studying the dynamics of slow oscillations in vitro and may help to elucidate the mechanism of electrical stimulation therapy.