A new technique that marries a fast-moving laser beam with a multi-photon microscope that look at tissues in different optical planes will enable scientists to get a three-dimensional view of neurons or nerve cells as they interact, said Baylor College of Medicine scientists.

Researchers plan to use the technology to monitor nerve activity in the brains of lab animals to study how populations of neurons communicate during visual stimulation. Another study will use the technology to monitor stimulation of the acoustic nerve optically. Those scientists hope to reinstate hearing in lab animals whose inner ear receptors do not work.