High-Yield Methods for Accurate Two-Alternative Visual Psychophysics in Head-Fixed Mice.
Cell Rep
; 20(10): 2513-2524, 2017 Sep 05.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28877482
ABSTRACT
Research in neuroscience increasingly relies on the mouse, a mammalian species that affords unparalleled genetic tractability and brain atlases. Here, we introduce high-yield methods for probing mouse visual decisions. Mice are head-fixed, facilitating repeatable visual stimulation, eye tracking, and brain access. They turn a steering wheel to make two alternative choices, forced or unforced. Learning is rapid thanks to intuitive coupling of stimuli to wheel position. The mouse decisions deliver high-quality psychometric curves for detection and discrimination and conform to the predictions of a simple probabilistic observer model. The task is readily paired with two-photon imaging of cortical activity. Optogenetic inactivation reveals that the task requires mice to use their visual cortex. Mice are motivated to perform the task by fluid reward or optogenetic stimulation of dopamine neurons. This stimulation elicits a larger number of trials and faster learning. These methods provide a platform to accurately probe mouse vision and its neural basis.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Psychophysics
/
Visual Cortex
/
Choice Behavior
/
Dopaminergic Neurons
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Cell Rep
Year:
2017
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United kingdom