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Automated task training and longitudinal monitoring of mouse mesoscale cortical circuits using home cages

  1. Timothy H Murphy  Is a corresponding author
  2. Nicholas J Michelson
  3. Jamie D Boyd
  4. Tony Fong
  5. Luis A Bolanos
  6. David Bierbrauer
  7. Teri Siu
  8. Matilde Balbi
  9. Federico Bolanos
  10. Matthieu Vanni
  11. Jeff M LeDue
  1. University of British Columbia, Canada
  2. University of Britsih Columbia, Canada
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Cite this article as: eLife 2020;9:e55964 doi: 10.7554/eLife.55964

Abstract

We report improved automated open-source methodology for head-fixed mesoscale cortical imaging and/or behavioral training of home cage mice using Raspberry Pi-based hardware. Staged partial and probabilistic restraint allows mice to adjust to self-initiated headfixation over 3 weeks' time with ~50% participation rate. We support a cue-based behavioral licking task monitored by a capacitive touch-sensor water spout. While automatically head-fixed, we acquire spontaneous, movement-triggered, or licking task-evoked GCaMP6 cortical signals. An analysis pipeline marked both behavioral events, as well as analyzed brain fluorescence signals as they relate to spontaneous and/or task-evoked behavioral activity. Mice were trained to suppress licking and wait for cues that marked the delivery of water. Correct rewarded go-trials were associated with widespread activation of midline and lateral barrel cortex areas following a vibration cue and delayed frontal and lateral motor cortex activation. Cortical GCaMP signals predicted trial success and correlated strongly with trial-outcome dependent body movements.

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Author details

  1. Timothy H Murphy

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    For correspondence
    thmurphy@mail.ubc.ca
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
    ORCID icon "This ORCID iD identifies the author of this article:" 0000-0002-0093-4490

  2. Nicholas J Michelson

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  3. Jamie D Boyd

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  4. Tony Fong

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  5. Luis A Bolanos

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  6. David Bierbrauer

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  7. Teri Siu

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  8. Matilde Balbi

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  9. Federico Bolanos

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of Britsih Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  10. Matthieu Vanni

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

  11. Jeff M LeDue

    Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
    Competing interests
    The authors declare that no competing interests exist.

Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (FDN-143209)

  • Timothy H Murphy

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.

Ethics

Animal experimentation: All procedures were conducted with approval from the University of British Columbia Animal Care Committee and in accordance with guidelines set forth by the Canadian Council for Animal Care.

Reviewing Editor

  1. David Kleinfeld, University of California, San Diego, United States

Publication history

  1. Received: February 12, 2020
  2. Accepted: May 7, 2020
  3. Accepted Manuscript published: May 15, 2020 (version 1)
  4. Version of Record published: July 2, 2020 (version 2)

Copyright

© 2020, Murphy et al.

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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