神经递质,作为重要的化学小分子,执行从细胞到细胞的神经信号传递的功能。神经递质的过量浓度通常与脑部疾病密切相关,如老年痴呆症,抑郁症,精神分裂症,和帕金森病。另一方面,在诱导刺激下神经递质的释放表明奖励相关行为的发生,包括食物和药物成瘾。因此,了解神经递质的生理和病理功能,尤其是在活大脑的复杂环境中,迫切需要开发有效的工具,以高灵敏度和特异性监测其动力学。在过去的30年里,电化学传感器和光学探针的重大进步为通过监测神经递质的变化来研究神经元和神经回路带来了新的可能性。这篇综述重点介绍了用于体内分析大脑中神经递质的传感器的构建进展,并总结了当前解决高选择性传感器开发中关键问题的尝试,灵敏度,和稳定性。结合技术和方法的最新进展,提供了几种传感器构建策略,用于记录大脑复杂环境中的化学信号变化。
Neurotransmitters, as important chemical small molecules, perform the function of neural signal transmission from cell to cell. Excess concentrations of neurotransmitters are often closely associated with brain diseases, such as Alzheimer\'s disease, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson\'s disease. On the other hand, the release of neurotransmitters under the induced stimulation indicates the occurrence of reward-related behaviors, including food and drug addiction. Therefore, to understand the physiological and pathological functions of neurotransmitters, especially in complex environments of the living brain, it is urgent to develop effective tools to monitor their dynamics with high sensitivity and specificity. Over the past 30 years, significant advances in electrochemical sensors and optical probes have brought new possibilities for studying neurons and neural circuits by monitoring the changes in neurotransmitters. This Review focuses on the progress in the construction of sensors for in vivo analysis of neurotransmitters in the brain and summarizes current attempts to address key issues in the development of sensors with high selectivity, sensitivity, and stability. Combined with the latest advances in technologies and methods, several strategies for sensor construction are provided for recording chemical signal changes in the complex environment of the brain.