US researchers explain that fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has several advantages over other analytical techniques in laboratory studies of living organisms. These include sub-second time resolution, high spatial resolution, moderate selectivity, and excellent sensitivity. The team has now used the technique to probe the dynamics of signaling molecules, such as the catecholamine dopamine, in single cells, adrenal slices, brain slices, and intact brains of anesthetized and freely moving rats.

Dopamine is a critical molecule in a wide range of medical conditions from addiction to Parkinson’s disease.

• Higher Sensitivity Dopamine Measurements with Faster-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry
  R. B. Keithley, P. Takmakov, E. S. Bucher, A. M. Belle, C. A. Owesson-White, J. Park, R. M. Wightman,
  Anal. Chem. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1021/ac200143v