Liu Yuehan, Zhang Jing, Li Cheng-Yu, Zhang Haolin, Li Xingde
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 31;15(1):19175. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04300-0.
The recently developed miniaturized head-mounted two-photon (2P) imaging devices have served as a valuable tool for neuroscientists, enabling real-time functional neural imaging in freely-behaving animals. Although the current 2P fiberscopes and miniscopes are lightweight, the weight of any potential additional accessories inevitably imposes a burden on the animal. Here, we present a buoyancy levitation method to alleviate head-mounted weight burden on mice. By utilizing the buoyance of a helium-filled balloon to counteract the additional weight of up to 7 g, mice' motion behavior remains largely unaffected by the added load. Neuroimage analysis provides new insights into the effects of weight burden on neural activities. This easy-to-implement method offers a platform for studying neural network function in animals, effectively freeing them from the burden of head-mounted weight.
最近开发的小型头戴式双光子（2P）成像设备已成为神经科学家的宝贵工具，能够在自由活动的动物中进行实时功能性神经成像。尽管目前的2P纤维镜和微型镜重量较轻，但任何潜在附加配件的重量不可避免地会给动物带来负担。在此，我们提出一种浮力悬浮方法，以减轻小鼠头戴式重量负担。通过利用充氦气球的浮力来抵消高达7克的额外重量，小鼠的运动行为在很大程度上不受附加负荷的影响。神经图像分析为重量负担对神经活动的影响提供了新的见解。这种易于实施的方法为研究动物神经网络功能提供了一个平台，有效地使它们摆脱了头戴式重量的负担。
