Andreas Draguhn

The patch clamp technique is one of the most important electrophysiological methods in use today. Its application in basic biomedical research has provided significant insights into the function and properties of ion channels, making it equally indispensable in applied pharmacological research. This book is the English edition of the popular German introduction to the patch clamp technique. This introductory book serves as a practical guide for teachers and students, offering clear and practical instructions on patch clamp recordings. The authors provide essential information to establish and successfully apply this method in the laboratory. The book covers the basics of measurements, the detailed setup of a patch clamp rig and how to carry out typical recordings. It also includes concrete tips and tricks to help with troubleshooting, making it an indispensable resource. The book not only highlights the enormous potential of the method for the study of ion channels and cell signaling, but also provides an introduction to the major developments and variations of the technique. The book is aimed at advanced students of biology, biochemistry, medicine, pharmacy and related disciplines as well as scientists who want to better understand and/or acquire the technique.

This book tackles the question of why the brain is so difficult to fully understand. In neuroscience, data are acquired and analyzed with astonishing techniques and accumulate rapidly. Nevertheless, try to explain how a person can think or why there is such a condition as schizophrenia, and it appears that we really know little. To approach these difficulties, the authors first present a number of case studies in which the operation of a neural circuit is worked out in some detail and, at the same time, the functional significance of the operation is also understood. These examples are complicated in their biologic specifics but are conceptually straightforward. The examples are hoped to provoke an appreciation for what neuroscience can accomplish. The authors then develop some thoughts on how these issues can be addressed----instead of considering cognition in general, taking instead a subset of cognition that does lend itself to formal description.

This book tackles the question of why the brain is so difficult to fully understand. In neuroscience, data are acquired and analyzed with astonishing techniques and accumulate rapidly. Nevertheless, try to explain how a person can think or why there is such a condition as schizophrenia, and it appears that we really know little. To approach these difficulties, the authors first present a number of case studies in which the operation of a neural circuit is worked out in some detail and, at the same time, the functional significance of the operation is also understood. These examples are complicated in their biologic specifics but are conceptually straightforward. The examples are hoped to provoke an appreciation for what neuroscience can accomplish. The authors then develop some thoughts on how these issues can be addressed----instead of considering cognition in general, taking instead a subset of cognition that does lend itself to formal description.

Die Patch-Clamp-Technik ist heute eine der wichtigsten neurophysiologischen Arbeitsmethoden. Ihre Anwendung hat in der biomedizinischen Grundlagenforschung bedeutende Erkenntnisse über die Funktion und die Eigenschaften von Ionenkanälen erbracht, und auch aus der angewandten pharmakologischen Forschung ist sie in­zwischen nicht mehr wegzudenken. Klar und praxisbezogen vermitteln die Autoren die wesentlichen Informationen, um die Methode im Labor einzuführen und erfolgreich anzuwenden. Das Buch erläutert die theoretischen Grundlagen der Messung, den detaillierten Aufbau eines Messplatzes und die praktische Durchführung typischer Messkonfigurationen. Konkrete Tipps und Tricks helfen beim „Trouble-Shooting“ und sind nicht nur für Neuanwender eine unverzichtbare Hilfe.