Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Nat Methods. 2021 Apr;18(4):417-425. doi: 10.1038/s41592-021-01104-8. Epub 2021 Apr 5.
The advent of genetically encoded calcium indicators, along with surgical preparations such as thinned skulls or refractive-index-matched skulls, has enabled mesoscale cortical activity imaging in head-fixed mice. However, neural activity during unrestrained behavior substantially differs from neural activity in head-fixed animals. For whole-cortex imaging in freely behaving mice, we present the 'mini-mScope', a widefield, miniaturized, head-mounted fluorescence microscope that is compatible with transparent polymer skull preparations. With a field of view of 8 × 10 mm and weighing less than 4 g, the mini-mScope can image most of the mouse dorsal cortex with resolutions ranging from 39 to 56 µm. We used the mini-mScope to record mesoscale calcium activity across the dorsal cortex during sensory-evoked stimuli, open field behaviors, social interactions and transitions from wakefulness to sleep.
随着基因编码钙指示剂的出现，以及诸如头骨变薄或折射率匹配头骨等手术准备，使得在头部固定的小鼠中进行介观皮层活动成像成为可能。然而，在不受约束的行为期间的神经活动与头部固定动物中的神经活动有很大的不同。对于在自由活动的小鼠中进行全皮层成像，我们提出了“mini-mScope”，这是一种广角、小型化、头戴式荧光显微镜，与透明聚合物头骨制备物兼容。视野为 8×10mm，重量小于 4g，mini-mScope 可以用 39 到 56µm 的分辨率对小鼠背侧皮层的大部分进行成像。我们使用 mini-mScope 在感觉诱发刺激、开阔场行为、社交互动以及从清醒到睡眠的过渡期间记录背侧皮层的介观钙活动。
