Highly sensitive techniques are needed for the quantitative determination of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation function in single rat hippocampal slices or isolated hippocampal subfields. We determined the oxygen consumption of single hippocampal slices or subfields applying high-resolution respirometry adapted for slice measurements and measured the redox state of mitochondrial NAD(P)H in single hippocampal slices by laser-excited fluorimetry. These methods allow the sensitive detection of two parameters of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation which depend on supply of substrates and respiratory chain function.