Fig. 1

Electrophysiological and morphological characteristics of human neurons analysed by single cell digital PCR. Somatodendritic (red) and axonal (black) arborization of layer 2/3 pyramidal cells recorded in brain slices prepared from the Control (a), Edema (b) and Pressure (c) groups of patients. Insets display voltage responses of the cells to hyperpolarizing and depolarizing current pulses with characteristic regular spiking firing patterns (top) and representative periods of spontaneous subthreshold activity. Light microscopic image of the perisomatic region of a layer 2/3 human pyramidal cell recovered following electrophysiological recordings and cytoplasm harvests (d, top). Measurements of the density of dendritic spines uncovered a significant drop in the Edema and Pressure groups relative to Control (bottom). Morphology and firing of human fast spiking interneurons cells used for single cell digital PCR (e). Somatodendritic (blue) and axonal (black) arborization of layer 2/3 fast spiking cells recorded in brain slices prepared from the Control (left) and Edema (right) groups of patients. Insets show voltage responses of the cells to hyperpolarizing and depolarizing current pulses with characteristic fast spiking firing patterns (top) and representative periods of spontaneous subthreshold activity