通过神经元的电生理表型表征神经元对于理解行为和认知功能的神经基础至关重要。技术发展使得能够收集数百个神经记录;这需要能够有效地执行特征提取的新工具。为了解决迫切需要一个强大和可访问的工具,我们开发了ElecFeX,一个基于MATLAB的开源工具箱,(1)具有直观的图形用户界面,(2)提供可定制的测量范围广泛的电生理特征,(3)通过批量分析毫不费力地处理大型数据集,和(4)产生格式化的输出以供进一步分析。我们在一组不同的神经记录上实现了ElecFeX;展示了它的功能,多功能性,以及捕获电特征的效率;并确立了其在区分跨大脑区域和物种的神经元亚群中的意义。因此,ElecFeX被呈现为用户友好的工具箱,通过最大限度地减少从其电生理数据集中提取特征所需的时间来使神经科学社区受益。
Characterizing neurons by their electrophysiological phenotypes is essential for understanding the neural basis of behavioral and cognitive functions. Technological developments have enabled the collection of hundreds of neural recordings; this calls for new tools capable of performing feature extraction efficiently. To address the urgent need for a powerful and accessible tool, we developed ElecFeX, an open-source MATLAB-based toolbox that (1) has an intuitive graphical user interface, (2) provides customizable measurements for a wide range of electrophysiological features, (3) processes large-size datasets effortlessly via batch analysis, and (4) yields formatted output for further analysis. We implemented ElecFeX on a diverse set of neural recordings; demonstrated its functionality, versatility, and efficiency in capturing electrical features; and established its significance in distinguishing neuronal subgroups across brain regions and species. ElecFeX is thus presented as a user-friendly toolbox to benefit the neuroscience community by minimizing the time required for extracting features from their electrophysiological datasets.