The activity of neurons has been measured in a slice of mouse tissue using a quantum diamond sensor – and it might one day enable a new type of non-invasive brain scanning
A diamond sensor was used to measure nerve activity on a slice of a mouse brain like this
Stu Gray/Alamy
A brain-recording device with a quantum diamond sensor has been used to measure neural activity in mouse brain tissue. The device is less accurate than standard brain-imaging techniques, but if it can be improved, it could be useful for non-invasive brain scanning.
The most common technique to study how neurons interact with each other is to directly measure their electrical signal, typically by inserting tiny wires into a tissue sample. But this method …