Multi-program approach for simulating recorded extracellular signals generated by neurons coupled to microelectrode arrays

Purpose of this paper is to present a new tool for characterizing the coupling between neurons and micro-electrode arrays (MEAs), based on a multi-program simulation approach. As a result, recorded extracellular signals generated by networks of neurons coupled to MEAs can be simulated with a combined interaction of modified and developed models implemented in simulation programs such as Spice, Neuron, and Matlab. The proposed approach allows an efficient simulation of the behaviour of the specific neuron–electrode junctions and the simulation of synaptically connected neuronal populations. Models of the neuron, synapse, microelectrode and neuron–electrode junction are presented and comparison between simulation results and multi-site extracellular recordings are shown.