Kayla Wang (昱葶）

Presentation Title

High-precision in-vivo Detection of Cocaine in Brains of Freely Moving Rats

Abstract

Knowledge of drug concentrations in the brains of behaving subjects remains incomplete on a number of dimensions, including lack of real-time data and generally poor temporal resolution. Here, however, we demonstrate the ability of electrochemical aptamer-based (EAB) sensors to support seconds-resolved, real-time measurements of drug concentrations in the brains of freely moving rats. Specifically, using such sensors, we achieve ~100 nM limits of detection of intracranial cocaine levels and 12-s resolution in the measurements performed on ambulatory rats. Our measurements in the lateral ventricles of the brain are performed in tandem with behavioral monitoring, allowing the determination of the pharmacokinetics and concentration-behavior relations of the drug with high precision for individual subjects. These results demonstrate the utility of such sensors in (i) the determination of the site-specific, seconds-resolved neuropharmacokinetics, and (ii) enabling the study of individual subject neuropharmacokinetics and concentration-response relations.