Progress toward Multianalyte Neurochemical Detection: Techniques and Applications

Brain function is shaped by the coordinated activity of billions of neurons. The neurotransmitters and neuromodulators released from these neurons work together to modulate circuit function and, ultimately, behavior. Electroanalytical technologies are particularly valuable for simultaneous detection of multiple biomolecular targets in a single assay. However, to date, most studies that have investigated rapid neurochemical dynamics have targeted a single analyte at a time─usually dopamine. Information on how chemical signals fluctuate relative to one another is largely limited to assays that use electrode arrays (with one target per recording site), while multianalyte detection at single electrodes remains relatively under-developed. This review provides a comprehensive discussion of the strengths and weaknesses associated with classic approaches to molecular monitoring in the brain─microdialysis sampling, electroanalytical techniques, and photometric approaches─and key advances toward multianalyte sensing at single recording sites. The codetection of multiple analytes at the same space and time promises to provide an entirely new perspective on brain function (and dysfunction) that can be exploited to inform on the development of improved therapeutic strategies to treat neurological disorders, broadly speaking.