Physiological and behavioral analyses show that expression of cerebellar whisker learning can be mediated by increased simple spike activity, depending on LTP induction at parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses.

A simple fluorescent dye method allows visualization of whiskers, facilitating studies of rodent tactile behavior.

Sensory enrichment creates a more columnar, less salt-and-pepper whisker map in somatosensory cortex, showing that impoverished experience contributes to intermixed tuning in rodent sensory maps.

The tapered, conical shape of rodent whiskers is essential for sensor mobility in constrained spaces and feature extraction from textured surfaces.

A rapid whisker-based decision underlies skilled locomotion in mice largely independent of cerebral cortex.

A tactile virtual reality system reveals the neural codes in the barrel cortex that underlie wall-tracking in mice.

Whisker barrels provide clues about neocortical development, as computer modelling shows that barrels can self-organize, based on competition between adjacent thalamocortical axons, suggesting that genetic instruction plays a secondary role.

Light can be used to trigger the contraction of facial muscles and movement of the whiskers in transgenic mice, aiding the study of active sensation.

Electrophysiology and information theory show that diverse classes of mechanoreceptors in the face inform the mouse brain about whisking.

A learning-induced, motor-related, projection-specific signal from S1 to S2 accompanies reward-based-learning of a goal-directed sensorimotor transformation of whisker sensation into licking motor output.