Voltage-Driven Alterations to Neuron Viscoelasticity

Background: The consideration of neurons as coupled mechanical-electrophysiological systems is supported by a growing body experimental evidence, including observations that cell membranes mechanically deform during the propagation an action potential. However, short-term (seconds to minutes) influence membrane voltage on mechanical properties neuron at single-cell level remains unknown. Materials and Methods: Here, we use microscale dynamic analysis demonstrate changes in potential induce individual neurons. We simultaneously measured through multiphysics setup. Membrane single was whole-cell patch clamp. same were nanoindenter, which applied indentation different frequencies. Results: Neuronal storage loss moduli lower for positive voltages than negative voltages. Conclusion: observed effects mechanics could be due piezoelectric or flexoelectric altered ion distributions under voltage. Such change changing intermolecular interactions between ions various biomolecules within cytoskeleton.