Mach-Zehnder interference microscopy optically records electrically stimulated cellular activity in unstained nerve cells

Dual-beam white light interference microscopy monitors changes in the optical density of the investigated object with high sensitivity. We report on the recording of dynamic changes in a neuron's optical density evoked by extracellular electrical stimulation. These recorded changes were analysed and unambiguously connected to the investigated object, an invertebrate neuron of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The results provide evidence for the method's applicability in visualizing cellular dynamics purely by evaluating changes in a cell's optical properties.