How dynamic activity in neural circuits gives rise to behavior is a major area of interest in neuroscience. A key experimental approach for addressing this question involves measuring extracellular neuronal activity in awake, behaving animals. Recently developed Neuropixels probes have provided a step change in recording neural activity in large tissue volumes with high spatiotemporal resolution. This protocol describes the chronic implantation of Neuropixels probes in mice and rats using compact and reusable 3D-printed fixtures. The fixtures facilitate stable chronic in vivo recordings in freely behaving rats and mice. They consist of two parts: a covered main body and a skull connector. Single-, dual- and movable-probe fixture variants are available. After completing an experiment, probes are safely recovered for reimplantation by a dedicated retrieval mechanism. Fixture assembly and surgical implantation typically take 4–5 h, and probe retrieval takes ~30 min, followed by 12 h of incubation in probe cleaning agent. The duration of data acquisition depends on the type of behavioral experiment. Since our protocol enables stable, chronic recordings over weeks, it enables longitudinal large-scale single-unit data to be routinely obtained in a cost-efficient manner, which will facilitate many studies in systems neuroscience.

神经回路中的动态活动如何引起行为是神经科学的一个主要兴趣领域。解决这个问题的一个关键实验方法是测量清醒、有行为的动物的细胞外神经元活动。最近开发的 Neuropixels 探针为以高时空分辨率记录大组织体积中的神经活动提供了阶跃变化。该协议描述了使用紧凑且可重复使用的 3D 打印固定装置将 Neuropixels 探针长期植入小鼠和大鼠中。该装置有助于对自由行为的大鼠和小鼠进行稳定的慢性体内记录。它们由两部分组成：有盖的主体和颅骨连接器。提供单探头、双探头和可移动探头夹具型号。完成实验后，探针将通过专用回收机制安全回收以重新植入。夹具组装和手术植入通常需要 4-5 小时，探针取出需要约 30 分钟，然后在探针清洁剂中孵育 12 小时。数据采集​​的持续时间取决于行为实验的类型。由于我们的协议能够实现数周内稳定、长期的记录，因此能够以经济有效的方式常规获得纵向大规模单单元数据，这将促进系统神经科学的许多研究。