VScope

VScope is a software package for the acquisition and analysis of data from multiple cameras as well as electrophysiology. Its main intended purpose is to record fluorescent traces from neurons loaded with voltage-sensitive dyes along with associated electrophysiology. VScope can record simultaneously from any number of cameras and frame rates can be set independently for each camera. VScope can also record synchronized electrophysiology traces and digital channels. VScope is mainly intended to acquire fixed-duration trials, but it can also acquire electrophysiology continuously. A variety of electrical stimulation protocols can be created through an easy-to-use GUI.

VScope has been in continuous development in our lab since 2008. Recently, we published version 1.0 for Windows and Linux. Binary packages, source code, and Octave/Matlab functions pertaining to this release, as well as a user manual may be downloaded at Zenodo. The latest version of the code is always available at Github. A brief “software meta paper” about VScope has been published in the Journal of Open Research Software.