Local field potential (LFP)

Local field potentials (LFPs) are extracellular electrical signals generated by the summed and synchronous activity of neuronal populations, and are recorded by microelectrodes in living brain tissue. They reflect the combined input and local processing (such as synaptic and subthreshold activity) of multiple neurons in the vicinity of the electrode, capturing a "field" effect from several hundred microns to a few millimeters away. In research and neurotechnology, LFP-based feedback loops refer to systems in which LFPs are used in real time to inform or control feedback—such as adjusting a prosthesis, stimulating tissue, or training subjects to consciously modulate neural patterns. LFPs themselves are *not* individual drug targets, molecular entities, or receptors, but are a composite signal reflecting underlying neuronal and network processes.

Other names

LFPLocal field potentialsExtracellular field potentials