Development of a miniature microdrive recording system for multisite multichannel recording from rodent brains

and is now primarily limited by the connector size. The low profile also allows the use of wireless telemetry to replace the cable and provide unrestricted exploration for the animal as well as interacting animals concurrently, opening the floor to social– behavioural studies. Conclusion We successfully modified the concept of the original microdrive and constructed a miniature device that allows the mechanical manipulation of electrode depth in the brain in chronic experiments without the need to anaesthetise the animal. By using the new microdrive, cortical and deep brain structures can be targeted. Although due to the reduced size handling and implantation can be more challenging, the increased number of implantable units makes up for the difficulties and allows the simultaneous examination of multiple brain regions with high accuracy and reliability.