A method for recording single unit activity from unanesthetized chronic cats

Under general anesthesia the cat is held in a stereotaxic instrument and a screwcapped teflon cylinder is placed in a trephine hole over the area from which microelectrode recordings are to be made. Macroelectrode leads are connected to an Amphenol receptacle which is screw-fastened into a head-holding apparatus which is rigidly attached to the stereotaxoc instrument. The receptacle is dental-cemented to the skull of the cat so that when ear, eye and mouth bars are removed, the head of the animal is still rigidly held in the stereotaxic position. During unit recording, the cat is held in a restraining box and the Amphenol plug is again fastened to the head-holding device and stereotaxic frame. The teflon cylinder is uncapped and a microelectrode is stereotaxically lowered into the brain of the cat. Cats adapt to the body and head restraint and single cells have been recorded for several hours.