Evaluation of the Variation Sources of an Optical Imaging System for the Acquisition of Voltage-Sensitive Dye Signals at Different Depths of the Rat Somatosensory Cortex Using a Measurement System Analysis Approach

Highlights • Optical imaging using voltage-sensitive dye RH1691 is suited for the registration of somatosensory evoked potentials from different cortical layers. • Anoptical imaging experiment can have different sources of variability: the biological process to be measured and the measurement system. • Measurement system analysis (MSA) is a method to evaluate the variance components in a measurement procedure. • MSA can be adapted to quantify the variation sources in an optical imaging system. • Applying MSA in an optical imaging system contributes to identify the layers in the somatosensory cortex with the best response.