Plexon provides a comprehensive platform for conducting neuroscience research in a wide array of experimental preparations, including freely-moving and head-fixed rodents (rats, mice) and primates, cell cultures, and brain slices. Plexon systems filter, amplify, record, and analyze action potentials (spikes) and local field potentials (LFPs) from implanted microelectrodes and microwires, surface EEG signals, EMG signals, and a variety of digital event and video data.
Plexon systems are capable of both real-time and off-line spike sorting and analyses. Real-time analysis allows the researcher to modify experimental protocols and stimuli, or electrode position, in real-time based on the outcome of the analyses.
Analysis of neural signals relative to external events and stimuli enable the study of the neural mechanisms underlying:
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Primate applications typically involve recording from awake, behaving monkeys engaged in behavioral or perceptual tasks. The following types of signals are acquired and analyzed in experiments involving primates:
- Spike action potentials and local field potentials from depth microelectrodes and microwires
- Single, stereotrode, and tetrode spike acquisition and sorting
- EMG electrode
- Superficial EEG
- Timing and content complex sensory stimuli (often visual) from an external experimental control system
- x,y coordinate data from external eye-tracking systems including magnetic field, infra-red, or video-based tracking
- Stimulation onset event
- Trial onset/termination – trial-based recording

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Headstages
Plexon offers three main types of headstages: high-impedance, low-impedance, and wireless.
Neuroexplorer
Neuroexplorer is a neurophysiological data analysis package with a rich set of analysis options and functions. NeuroExplorer can be used to analyze data files offline, or used in realtime with the MAP System and OmniPlex System control software.

Offline Sorter
Offline Sorter (OFS) version 3 is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for viewing and classifying action potential waveforms (spikes) collected from single electrodes, stereotrodes, and tetrodes.
Plextrode® Floating Microelectrode Array
Plexon offers the Plextrode™ Floating Microelectrode Array (FMA) for long-term chronic applications. The Plextrode FMA is a unique microelectrode array, designed to improve upon the benefits offered by a standard chronic array while also accommodating numerous, user-defined specifications. This allows the Plextrode FMA to be configured to specific research requirements.
Plextrode® Microwire Array
The Plextrode® microwire arrays are most commonly used in chronic, freely moving animal studies. They are Plexon's best selling electrode array due to both recording reliability and cost efficiency.
Plextrode® U-Probe
The 16- and 24-channel U-Probes are now available with thinner probe diameters. The 16-channel U-Probe is now available with an outer diameter of 185 µm, and the 24-channel U-Probe is available with 210 µm outer diameter. These new U-Probes feature 15 um platinum/iridium electrode wire, which is best for resolving single units.
The U-Probe will still be available with 20 µm or 25 µm electrode wire. These thicker diameter electrode wire U-Probes are recommended for those interested in current source density analysis.
The 8-channel U-Probe is also still available. The 8-channel U-Probe is now configured with a fluid channel for drug delivery by default. The placement of this fluid capillary is user defined. These 8-channel U-Probes have an outer probe diameter of 230 µm.
Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP)
The Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) sets the standard for programmable amplification, filtering, and real-time spike sorting of multi-electrode signals acquired in neurophysiological research.
RASPUTIN
RASPUTIN (Real-time Acquisition System Programs for Unit Timing in Neuroscience) is a suite of software tools that work with the Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) hardware.
Recorder
Recorder/16 and Recorder/64 are Windows®-based neural data acquisition systems for continuous digitization of up to 16 channels (Recorder/16) or 64 channels (Recorder/64) of any combination of spike signals, thresholded spike segments, field potentials, and external digital events.
Research Papers
by: Freedman D., Riesenhuber M., Poggio T., and Miller E.
Science (2003) 23, pp. 5235-5246
by: Sundberg K., Fallah M., and Reynolds J.
Neuron (2005) 49, pp. 447-457
by: Nieder A. and Miller E.
PNAS (2004) 101, pp. 7457-7462
by: Krekelberg B., van Wezel R., and Albright T.
Journal of Neurophysiology (2006) 95, pp. 255-270
by: Nieder A. and Miller E.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2004) 16, pp. 889-901
by: Sanchez J., Carmena J., Lebedev M., Nicolelis M., Harris J., and Principe J.
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (2004) 51, pp. 943-53
by: Zeitler M., Fries P., and Gielen S.
Neural Computation (2006) 18, pp. 2256-2281
by: Reynolds J. and Chelazzi L.
Annual Review of Neuroscience (2004) 27, pp. 611-47
by: Salzman C., Belova M., and Paton J.
Current Opinion in Neurobiology (2005) 15, pp. 721-9
by: Suzuki W. and Brown E.
Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews (2005) 4, pp. 67-95
by: Wiest M. and Nicolelis M.
Nature Neuroscience (2003) 6, pp. 913-4
by: Horwitz G. Chichilnisky E., and Albright T.
Journal of Neurophysiology (2005) 93, pp. 2263-2278
by: Nicolelis M.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2003) 4, pp. 417-422
by: Freedman D., Riesenhuber M., Poggio T., and Miller E.
Science (2001) 291, pp. 312-6
by: Hampson R., Pons T., Stanford T., and Deadwyler S.
PNAS (2004) 101, pp. 3184-3189
by: Nieder A. and Miller E.
Neuron (2003) 37, pp. 149-157
by: Pedersen S., Kristiansen E., Hansen B., Andersen R., and Zachariassen K.
Journal of Insect Physiology (2006) 52, pp. 846-53
by: Zink W., Noll J., Rauch H., Bauer H., Desimone R., Martin E., and Bottiger B.
Anaesthesia (2004) 59, pp. 1126-32
by: Li W., Piëch V., and Gilbert C.
Neuron (2006) 50, pp. 951-962
by: Koch A., Sebening C., DeSimone R., Jahn L., Sack F., and Hagl S.
Zeitschrift für Kardiologie (2005) 94, pp. 813-6
by: Fecteau J. and Munoz D.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2005) 17, pp. 1714-27
by: Liu J. and Newsome W.
Journal of Neuroscience (2005) 25, pp. 711-722
by: Sylvestre P., Choi J., and Cullen K.
Journal of Nueirphysiology (2003) 90, pp. 739-54
by: Sylvestre P., Roy J., and Cullen K.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2001) 942, pp. 497-500
by: Lakatos, P., Karmos, G., Mehta, A.D., Ulbert, I., and Schroeder, C.E.
Science (2008) 320, pp. 110-113
by: Pare M. and Munoz D.
Experimental Brain Research (2001) 137, pp. 354-68
by: Santucci D., Kralik J., Lebedev M., and Nicolelis M.
European Journal of Neuroscience (2005) 22, pp. 1529-40
by: Womelsdorf T., Fries P., Mitra P., and Desimone R.
Nature (2006) 439, pp. 733-6
by: Werkema E., Messines E., Perrin L., Maron L., Eisenstein O., and Andersen R.
Journal of the American Chemical Society (2005) 127, pp. 7781-95
by: Dragoi V. and Sur M.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2006) 18, pp. 737-48
by: Krekelberg B., van Wezel R., and Albright T.
Journal of Neuroscience (2006) 26, pp. 8988-8998
by: Gold J.
Trends in Neuroscience (2003) 26, pp. 12-14
by: Munoz D. and Everling S.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2004) 5, pp. 218-228
by: Sugrue L., Corrado G., and Newsome W.
Science (2004) 304, pp. 1782-7
by: Fries P., Reynolds J., Rorie A., and Desimone R.
Science (2001) 291, pp. 1560-3
by: Krekelberg B. and Albright T.
Journal of Neurophysiology (2005) 93, pp. 2908-2921
by: Nicolelis M. and Ribeiro S.
Current Opinion in Neurobiology (2002) 12, pp. 602-6
by: Thiele A., Dobkins K., and Albright T.
Neuron (2001) 32, pp. 351-8
by: Jacobi P., DeSimone R., Ghosh I., Guo J., Leung S., and Pippin D.
Journal of Organic Chemistry (2000) 65, pp. 8478-89
by: Leopold D., Bondar I., and Giese A.
Nature (2006) 442, pp. 572-5
by: Bichot N., Rossi A., and Desimone R.
Science (2005) 308, pp. 529-34
by: Horwitz G. and Albright T
Journal of Vision (2005) 5, pp. 525-533
by: Li W., Piëch V., and Gilbert C.
Nature Neuroscience (2004) 7, pp. 651-657
by: Hori E., Nishio Y, Kazui K., Umeno K., Tabuchi E., Sasaki K., Endo S., Ono T., and Nishijo H.
Hippocampus (2005) 15, pp. 991-996
by: Pohlmeyer E., Miller L., Mussa-Ivaldi F., Perreault E., and Solla S.
Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE (2003) 3, pp. 2197-2200
by: Daniel Fabo, Zsofia Magloczky, Lucia Wittner, Agnes Pek, Lorand Eross, Sandor Czirjak, Janos Vajda, Andras Solyom, Gyorgy Rasonyi, Anna Szucs, Anna Kelemen, Vera Juhos, Laszlo Grand, Balazs Dombovari, Peter Halasz, Tamas F. Freund, Eric Halgren, Gyorgy Ka
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Hippocampus (2003) 13, pp. 190-6
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Journal of Neurophysiology Articles in Press (2006) 97, pp. 272-82
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Nature (2001) 411, pp. 953-956
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Science (2003) 300, pp. 1578-81
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Nature Neuroscience (2005) 8, pp. 415-7
by: Nicolelis M.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences (2002) 6, pp. 449-50
by: Lucia Wittner, Gilles Huberfeld, Stephane Clemenceau, Lorand Eross, Edouard Dezamis, Laszlo Entz, Istvan Ulbert, Michel Baulac, Tamas F. Freund, Zsofia Magloczky and Richard Miles
by: Sydney S. Cash, Eric Halgren, Nima Dehghani, Andrea O. Rossetti, Thomas Thesen, Chun Mao Wang, Orrin Devinsky, Ruben Kuzniecky, Werner Doyle, Joseph R. Madsen, Edward Bromfield, Lorand Eross, Peter Halasz, George Karmos, Richard Csercsa, Lucia Wittner, Is
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Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2000) 1, pp. 59-65
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Journal of Neurophysiology (2004) 91, pp. 1936-1937
Rodent applications involve recording from a freely moving or anesthetized rat or mouse. Plexon has a wide array of headstage amplifier options designed to fit the space and weight constraints involved in recording from small animals. The following types of signals are typically acquired and analyzed in experiments involving rat or mouse:
- Spike action potentials and local field potentials from depth microelectrodes and microwires
- Single electrode, stereotrode, and tetrode spike acquisition and sorting
- Digital video and LED position tracking
- Timing of sensory or behavioral events (for example, lever pressing, nose poke, light onset, among others) from commonly used operant behavioral control systems
- Stimulation onset event
- Trial onset/termination (trail-based recording)
Related Products

Headstages
Plexon offers three main types of headstages: high-impedance, low-impedance, and wireless.
Neuroexplorer
Neuroexplorer is a neurophysiological data analysis package with a rich set of analysis options and functions. NeuroExplorer can be used to analyze data files offline, or used in realtime with the MAP System and OmniPlex System control software.

Offline Sorter
Offline Sorter (OFS) version 3 is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for viewing and classifying action potential waveforms (spikes) collected from single electrodes, stereotrodes, and tetrodes.
Preamplifiers
Plexon has recently introduced a new line of preamplifier boards with improved common-mode rejection capability with both fixed reference and software-programmable reference selection, and lower noise for improved SNR recordings. These preamp boards represent the third-generation of plexon spike, field potential, and wide-band boards for use either with the Plexon MAP and RECORDER systems, or as stand-alone hardware components for use with other data acquisition systems.
Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP)
The Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) sets the standard for programmable amplification, filtering, and real-time spike sorting of multi-electrode signals acquired in neurophysiological research.
RASPUTIN
RASPUTIN (Real-time Acquisition System Programs for Unit Timing in Neuroscience) is a suite of software tools that work with the Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) hardware.
Recorder
Recorder/16 and Recorder/64 are Windows®-based neural data acquisition systems for continuous digitization of up to 16 channels (Recorder/16) or 64 channels (Recorder/64) of any combination of spike signals, thresholded spike segments, field potentials, and external digital events.
CinePlex
CinePlex is a digital video recording and tracking system that enables the synchronization of video with neural data files.
Research Papers
by: Shuler M., Krupa D., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2001) 21, pp. 5251-5261
by: Kuo C. and Yen C.
Journal of Neurophysiology (2005) 94, pp. 1825-1836
by: Tsai M., Kuob C., Sunc W., Yen C.
Pain (2004) 110, pp. 665-674
by: Dzirasa K., Ribeiro S., Costa R., Santos L., Lin S., Grosmark A., Sotnikova T., Gainetdinov R., Caron M., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2006) 26, pp. 10577-10589
by: Katz D., Simon S., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2001) 21, pp. 4478-4489
by: Ghazanfar A., Stambaugh C., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2000) 20, pp. 3761-3775
by: Gervasoni D., Lin S., Ribeiro S., Soares E., Pantoja J., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2004) 24, pp. 11137-11147
by: Chang C., Liang K., and Yen C.
European Journal of Neuroscience (2005) 21, pp. 210-218
by: Ribeiro S., Gervasoni D., Soares E., Zhou Y., Lin S., Pantoja J., Lavine M., Nicolelis M.
PLoS Biology (2004) 2, pp. 0126-0137
by: Gutierrez R., Carmena J.,Nicolelis M., and Simon S.
Journal of Neurophysiology (2006) 95, pp. 119-133
by: Stapleton J., Lavine M., Wolpert R., Nicolelis M., and Simon S.
Journal of Neuroscience (2006) 26, pp. 4126-4138
by: Cohen D. and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2004) 24, pp. 3574-3582
by: Yen C. and Shaw F.
Brain Research (2003) 968, pp. 179-191
by: Ghazanfar A. , Krupa D., and Nicolelis M.
Experimental Brain Research (2001) 141, pp. 88-100
by: Katz D., Simon S., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2002) 22, pp. 1850-1857
Rodent applications involve recording from a freely moving or anesthetized rat or mouse. Plexon has a wide array of headstage amplifier options designed to fit the space and weight constraints involved in recording from small animals. The following types of signals are typically acquired and analyzed in experiments involving rat or mouse:
- Spike action potentials and local field potentials from depth microelectrodes and microwires
- Single electrode, stereotrode, and tetrode spike acquisition and sorting
- Digital video and LED position tracking
- Timing of sensory or behavioral events (for example, lever pressing, nose poke, light onset, among others) from commonly used operant behavioral control systems
- Stimulation onset event
- Trial onset/termination (trail-based recording)

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Research Papers
by: Costa R., Cohen D., and Nicolelis M.
Current Biology (2004) 14, pp. 1124-1134
by: Dzirasa K., Ribeiro S., Costa R., Santos L., Lin S., Grosmark A., Sotnikova T., Gainetdinov R., Caron M., and Nicolelis M.
Journal of Neuroscience (2006) 26, pp. 10577-10589
by: Lin L., Osan R., Shoham S., Jin W., Zuo W., and Tsien J.
PNAS (2005) 102, pp. 6125-6130
Cell culture and brain slice applications involve recording from either multi-electrode array (MEA) plates or from individual microelectrodes inserted into the preparation from above. Recordings from MEA plates typically involve testing the effects of drugs or toxins, and can extend over many days or even weeks. MEA plates can be obtained from a variety of vendors, including the University of North Texas, Multichannel Systems, and Panasonic Alpha-MED Sciences.
The following types of signals are typically acquired and analyzed in cell culture and brain slice experiments:
- Action potentials and local field potentials from MEA electrode plates
- Timing of external stimuli (for example, light onset/offset, electrical stimulation, among others)
- Trial-based and time-based recording

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This section contains research papers and related products that are not directly associated with any of the other research categories.
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Research Papers
by: Swadlow H., Gusev A., and Bezdudnaya T.
Journal of Neuroscience (2002) 22, pp. 7766-7773
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by: Lakatos P., Shah A., Knuth K., Ulbert I., Karmos G., and Schroeder C.
Neurophysiology (2005) 94, pp. 1904-1911
by: Devor A., Ulbert I., Dunn A, Narayanan S, Jones S., Andermann M., Boas D., and Dale A.
PNAS (2005) 102, pp. 3822-3827
by: Devor A., Dunn A., Andermann M., Ulbert I., Boas D., and Dale A.
Neuron (2003) 39, pp. 353-359
by: Pettersen K., Devor A., Ulbert I., Dale A., and Einevoll G.
Neuroscience Methods (2006) 154, pp. 116-133
by: Ulbert I., Magloczky Z., Eross L., Czirjak S., Vajda J., Bognar L., Toth S., Szabo Z., Halasz P., Fabo D., Halgren E., Freund T., and Karmos G.
Experimental Neurology (2004) 187, pp. 310-318
by: Einevoll G., Pettersen K., Devor A., Ulbert I., Halgren E., and Dale A.
Neurophysiology (2007) 97, pp. 2174-2190
by: Smiley J., Hackett T., Ulbert I., Karmos G., Lakatos P., Javitt J., and Schroeder C.
Comparative Neurology (2007) 502, pp. 894-923
by: Hackett T., De La Mothe L., Ulbert I., Karmos G., Smiley J., and Schroeder C.
Comparative Neurology (2007) 502, pp. 924-952
by: Shah A., Bressler S., Knuth K., Ding M., Mehta A., Ulbert I., and Schroeder C.
Cerebral Cortex (2004) 14, pp. 476-483
by: Lakatos P., Chen C., O’Connell M., Mills A., and Schroeder C.
Neuron (2007) 53, pp. 279-292
by: Daniel Fabo, Zsofia Magloczky, Lucia Wittner, Agnes Pek, Lorand Eross, Sandor Czirjak, Janos Vajda, Andras Solyom, Gyorgy Rasonyi, Anna Szucs, Anna Kelemen, Vera Juhos, Laszlo Grand, Balazs Dombovari, Peter Halasz, Tamas F. Freund, Eric Halgren, Gyorgy Ka
by: Devor A., Tian P., Nishimura N., Teng I., Hillman E., Narayanan S., Ulbert I., Boas D., Kleinfeld D., and Dale A.
Neuroscience (2007) 27, pp. 4452-4459
by: Lucia Wittner, Gilles Huberfeld, Stephane Clemenceau, Lorand Eross, Edouard Dezamis, Laszlo Entz, Istvan Ulbert, Michel Baulac, Tamas F. Freund, Zsofia Magloczky and Richard Miles
by: Sydney S. Cash, Eric Halgren, Nima Dehghani, Andrea O. Rossetti, Thomas Thesen, Chun Mao Wang, Orrin Devinsky, Ruben Kuzniecky, Werner Doyle, Joseph R. Madsen, Edward Bromfield, Lorand Eross, Peter Halasz, George Karmos, Richard Csercsa, Lucia Wittner, Is
