2018 Vol. 4, No. 2
Cover Story
Recent advances in optogenetics have established a precisely timed and cell-specific methodology for understanding the functions of brain circuits and the mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disor-ders.However,the fabrication of optrodes,a key functional element in optogenetics,remains a great challenge.Here,the authors report reliable and efficient fabrication strategies for chronically implantable optrode arrays.To improve the performance of the fabricated optrode arrays,surfaces of the recording sites were modified using optimized electrochemical processes.They have also demon-strated the feasibility of using the fabricated optrode arrays to detect seizures in multiple brain regions and inhibit ictal propagation in vivo.Furthermore,the results of the histology study imply that the electrodeposition of composite conducting polymers notably alleviated the inflammatory response and improved neuronal survival at the implant/neural-tissue interface.In summary,they provide reliable and efficient strategies for the fabrication and modification of customized optrode arrays that can fulfill the requirements of in vivo optogenetic applications.