Micallef Andrew H, Takahashi Naoya, Larkum Matthew E, Palmer Lucy M
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of MelbourneMelbourne, VIC, Australia.
Institute for Biology, Humboldt University of BerlinBerlin, Germany.
Front Cell Neurosci. 2017 May 31;11:156. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00156. eCollection 2017.
Understanding the neural computations that contribute to behavior requires recording from neurons while an animal is behaving. This is not an easy task as most subcellular recording techniques require absolute head stability. The Go/No-Go sensory task is a powerful decision-driven task that enables an animal to report a binary decision during head-fixation. Here we discuss how to set up an Ardunio and Python based platform system to control a Go/No-Go sensory behavior paradigm. Using an Arduino micro-controller and Python-based custom written program, a reward can be delivered to the animal depending on the decision reported. We discuss the various components required to build the behavioral apparatus that can control and report such a sensory stimulus paradigm. This system enables the end user to control the behavioral testing in real-time and therefore it provides a strong custom-made platform for probing the neural basis of behavior.
要理解对行为有贡献的神经计算，需要在动物行为时记录神经元活动。这并非易事，因为大多数亚细胞记录技术都要求头部绝对稳定。“是/否”感觉任务是一种强大的决策驱动任务，能使动物在头部固定时报告二元决策。在此，我们讨论如何搭建一个基于Arduino和Python的平台系统，以控制“是/否”感觉行为范式。使用Arduino微控制器和基于Python编写的自定义程序，可根据动物报告的决策给予奖励。我们讨论构建能控制和报告这种感觉刺激范式的行为装置所需的各种组件。该系统使最终用户能够实时控制行为测试，因此为探究行为的神经基础提供了一个强大的定制平台。
