Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a versatile tool for the characterization of neural tissue: A mini review

The field of bioelectrochemistry is growing rapidly and is beginning to have a significant impact on the practice of medicine and biology. Due to its potency, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is used frequently by the scientists working at the interface between biology, medicine and electrochemistry. The aim of this paper is to describe the current state of the art devoted to the application of EIS in neural science, with the particular focus on the application of the impedance measurements to monitor cell adhesion, cell growth and morphological changes during neuronal differentiation, to track cell apoptosis, neural degeneration, and to distinguish among specific types of cells. These applications are investigated in terms of the electrochemical behaviour of cells and tissues, including the description of equivalent circuits used for modelling the electrode-tissue interface. Therefore, this paper combines the potential applications of EIS in neural science with the electrochemical background necessary for the proper interpretation of acquired results.