Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University;
Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute.
J Vis Exp. 2023 Mar 3(193). doi: 10.3791/64863.
Head-restrained behavioral experiments in mice allow neuroscientists to observe neural circuit activity with high-resolution electrophysiological and optical imaging tools while delivering precise sensory stimuli to a behaving animal. Recently, human and rodent studies using virtual reality (VR) environments have shown VR to be an important tool for uncovering the neural mechanisms underlying spatial learning in the hippocampus and cortex, due to the extremely precise control over parameters such as spatial and contextual cues. Setting up virtual environments for rodent spatial behaviors can, however, be costly and require an extensive background in engineering and computer programming. Here, we present a simple yet powerful system based upon inexpensive, modular, open-source hardware and software that enables researchers to study spatial learning in head-restrained mice using a VR environment. This system uses coupled microcontrollers to measure locomotion and deliver behavioral stimuli while head-restrained mice run on a wheel in concert with a virtual linear track environment rendered by a graphical software package running on a single-board computer. The emphasis on distributed processing allows researchers to design flexible, modular systems to elicit and measure complex spatial behaviors in mice in order to determine the connection between neural circuit activity and spatial learning in the mammalian brain.
头部固定的行为实验使神经科学家能够在向行为动物提供精确感觉刺激的同时，使用高分辨率的电生理和光学成像工具观察神经回路活动。最近，人类和啮齿动物使用虚拟现实 (VR) 环境的研究表明，由于能够非常精确地控制空间和上下文线索等参数，VR 是揭示海马体和皮层中空间学习背后的神经机制的重要工具。然而，为啮齿动物的空间行为设置虚拟环境可能成本高昂，并且需要工程和计算机编程方面的广泛背景。在这里，我们提出了一个简单而强大的系统，该系统基于廉价、模块化、开源的硬件和软件，使研究人员能够在 VR 环境中使用头部固定的小鼠研究空间学习。该系统使用耦合的微控制器来测量运动并提供行为刺激，同时头部固定的小鼠在轮子上运行，与在单板计算机上运行的图形软件包呈现的虚拟线性轨道环境协同工作。对分布式处理的强调允许研究人员设计灵活的、模块化的系统，以在小鼠中引出和测量复杂的空间行为，从而确定哺乳动物大脑中神经回路活动与空间学习之间的联系。
