Electrophysiology and the magnetic sense: a guide to best practice

Magnetoreception, sensing the Earth’s magnetic field, is used by many species in orientation and navigation. While this is established on the behavioural level, there is a severe lack in knowledge on the underlying neuronal mechanisms of this sense. A powerful technique to study the neuronal processing of magnetic cues is electrophysiology but, thus far, few studies have adopted this technique. Why is this the case? A fundamental problem is the introduction of electromagnetic noise (induction) caused by the magnetic stimuli, within electrophysiological recordings which, if too large, prevents feasible separation of neuronal signals from the induction artefacts. Here, we address the concerns surrounding the use of electromagnetic coils within electrophysiology experiments and assess whether these would prevent viable electrophysiological recordings within a generated magnetic field. We present calculations of the induced voltages in typical experimental situations and compare them against the neuronal signals measured with different electrophysiological techniques. Finally, we provide guidelines that should help limit and account for possible induction artefacts. In conclusion, if great care is taken, viable electrophysiological recordings from magnetoreceptive cells are achievable and promise to provide new insights on the neuronal basis of the magnetic sense.