University of Georgia team builds adaptive light-sheet microscope for 3D seizure imaging

Researchers at the University of Georgia have created an adaptive light-sheet microscopy system that can capture live, three‑dimensional brain activity during seizures. The instrument combines an electrically tunable lens for ultra‑fast axial scanning with sensorless adaptive optics that correct optical aberrations in real time, delivering near‑diffraction‑limited resolution while minimizing phototoxicity.

The system records volumes up to 499 × 499 × 150 µm at four volumes per second, allowing observation of seizure initiation in the hindbrain of larval zebrafish and subsequent propagation to the optic tectum. Experiments compared normal fish with mutants lacking the gad1b gene, which controls GABA synthesis, to explore genetic influences on excitation‑inhibition balance. The authors suggest the approach could aid understanding of seizure mechanisms and inform future therapeutic strategies.