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Rich PD, Thiberge SY, Scott BB, Guo C, Tervo DGR, Brody CD, Karpova AY, Daw ND, Tank DW. Magnetic voluntary head-fixation in transgenic rats enables lifespan imaging of hippocampal neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4154. [PMID: 38755205 PMCID: PMC11099169 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48505-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The precise neural mechanisms within the brain that contribute to the remarkable lifetime persistence of memory are not fully understood. Two-photon calcium imaging allows the activity of individual cells to be followed across long periods, but conventional approaches require head-fixation, which limits the type of behavior that can be studied. We present a magnetic voluntary head-fixation system that provides stable optical access to the brain during complex behavior. Compared to previous systems that used mechanical restraint, there are no moving parts and animals can engage and disengage entirely at will. This system is failsafe, easy for animals to use and reliable enough to allow long-term experiments to be routinely performed. Animals completed hundreds of trials per session of an odor discrimination task that required 2-4 s fixations. Together with a reflectance fluorescence collection scheme that increases two-photon signal and a transgenic Thy1-GCaMP6f rat line, we are able to reliably image the cellular activity in the hippocampus during behavior over long periods (median 6 months), allowing us track the same neurons over a large fraction of animals' lives (up to 19 months).
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Affiliation(s)
- P Dylan Rich
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | | | - Benjamin B Scott
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caiying Guo
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - D Gowanlock R Tervo
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Carlos D Brody
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Alla Y Karpova
- Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA, USA
| | - Nathaniel D Daw
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - David W Tank
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Bezos Center for Neural Circuit Dynamics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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2
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Wang M, Jendrichovsky P, Kanold PO. Auditory discrimination learning differentially modulates neural representation in auditory cortex subregions and inter-areal connectivity. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114172. [PMID: 38703366 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Changes in sound-evoked responses in the auditory cortex (ACtx) occur during learning, but how learning alters neural responses in different ACtx subregions and changes their interactions is unclear. To address these questions, we developed an automated training and widefield imaging system to longitudinally track the neural activity of all mouse ACtx subregions during a tone discrimination task. We find that responses in primary ACtx are highly informative of learned stimuli and behavioral outcomes throughout training. In contrast, representations of behavioral outcomes in the dorsal posterior auditory field, learned stimuli in the dorsal anterior auditory field, and inter-regional correlations between primary and higher-order areas are enhanced with training. Moreover, ACtx response changes vary between stimuli, and such differences display lag synchronization with the learning rate. These results indicate that learning alters functional connections between ACtx subregions, inducing region-specific modulations by propagating behavioral information from primary to higher-order areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Peter Jendrichovsky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Patrick O Kanold
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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3
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Shi L, Fu X, Gui S, Wan T, Zhuo J, Lu J, Li P. Global spatiotemporal synchronizing structures of spontaneous neural activities in different cell types. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2884. [PMID: 38570488 PMCID: PMC10991327 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46975-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence has revealed the large-scale nonstationary synchronizations as traveling waves in spontaneous neural activity. However, the interplay of various cell types in fine-tuning these spatiotemporal patters remains unclear. Here, we performed comprehensive exploration of spatiotemporal synchronizing structures across different cell types, states (awake, anesthesia, motion) and developmental axis in male mice. We found traveling waves in glutamatergic neurons exhibited greater variety than those in GABAergic neurons. Moreover, the synchronizing structures of GABAergic neurons converged toward those of glutamatergic neurons during development, but the evolution of waves exhibited varying timelines for different sub-type interneurons. Functional connectivity arises from both standing and traveling waves, and negative connections can be elucidated by the spatial propagation of waves. In addition, some traveling waves were correlated with the spatial distribution of gene expression. Our findings offer further insights into the neural underpinnings of traveling waves, functional connectivity, and resting-state networks, with cell-type specificity and developmental perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shi
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics and MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215100, China
| | - Xiaoxi Fu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics and MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215100, China
| | - Shen Gui
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics and MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215100, China
| | - Tong Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Junjie Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China
| | - Jinling Lu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics and MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215100, China.
| | - Pengcheng Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics and MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Advanced Biomedical Imaging Facility, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China.
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215100, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Sanya, 572025, China.
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4
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Jose A, Cheung PY, Laouby Z, Vanholsbeeck F, Cheyne JE. Low-cost reversible tandem lens mesoscope for brain imaging in rodents. Neurophotonics 2024; 11:014306. [PMID: 38464865 PMCID: PMC10924044 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.11.1.014306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Significance The development of imaging systems that are cost-efficient and modular is essential for modern neuroscience research. Aim In the current study, we designed, developed, and characterized a low-cost reversible tandem lens mesoscope for brain imaging in rodents. Approach Using readily available components, we assembled a robust imaging system that is highly efficient and cost-effective. We developed a mesoscope that offers high-resolution structural and functional imaging with cost-effective lenses and CMOS camera. Results The reversible tandem lens configuration of the mesoscope offers two fields of view (FOVs), which can be achieved by swapping the objective and imaging lenses. The large FOV configuration of 12.6 × 10.5 mm provides a spatial resolution up to 4.92 μ m , and the small FOV configuration of 6 × 5 mm provides a resolution of up to 2.46 μ m . We demonstrate the efficiency of our system for imaging neuronal calcium activity in both rat and mouse brains in vivo. Conclusions The careful selection of the mesoscope components ensured its compactness, portability, and versatility, meaning that different types of samples and sample holders can be easily accommodated, enabling a range of different experiments both in vivo and in vitro. The custom-built reversible FOV mesoscope is cost-effective and was developed for under US$10,000 with excellent performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashly Jose
- University of Auckland, Department of Physics, Auckland, New Zealand
- Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (DWC), Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Pang Ying Cheung
- Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (DWC), Dunedin, New Zealand
- University of Auckland, Department of Physiology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Zahra Laouby
- Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (DWC), Dunedin, New Zealand
- University of Auckland, Department of Physiology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Frédérique Vanholsbeeck
- University of Auckland, Department of Physics, Auckland, New Zealand
- Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (DWC), Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Juliette E. Cheyne
- Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies (DWC), Dunedin, New Zealand
- University of Auckland, Department of Physiology, Auckland, New Zealand
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5
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Hope J, Beckerle T, Cheng PH, Viavattine Z, Feldkamp M, Fausner S, Saxena K, Ko E, Hryb I, Carter R, Ebner T, Kodandaramaiah S. Brain-wide neural recordings in mice navigating physical spaces enabled by a cranial exoskeleton. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3491330. [PMID: 38014260 PMCID: PMC10680923 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3491330/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Complex behaviors are mediated by neural computations occurring throughout the brain. In recent years, tremendous progress has been made in developing technologies that can record neural activity at cellular resolution at multiple spatial and temporal scales. However, these technologies are primarily designed for studying the mammalian brain during head fixation - wherein the behavior of the animal is highly constrained. Miniaturized devices for studying neural activity in freely behaving animals are largely confined to recording from small brain regions owing to performance limitations. We present a cranial exoskeleton that assists mice in maneuvering neural recording headstages that are orders of magnitude larger and heavier than the mice, while they navigate physical behavioral environments. Force sensors embedded within the headstage are used to detect the mouse's milli-Newton scale cranial forces which then control the x, y, and yaw motion of the exoskeleton via an admittance controller. We discovered optimal controller tuning parameters that enable mice to locomote at physiologically realistic velocities and accelerations while maintaining natural walking gait. Mice maneuvering headstages weighing up to 1.5 kg can make turns, navigate 2D arenas, and perform a navigational decision-making task with the same performance as when freely behaving. We designed an imaging headstage and an electrophysiology headstage for the cranial exoskeleton to record brain-wide neural activity in mice navigating 2D arenas. The imaging headstage enabled recordings of Ca2+ activity of 1000s of neurons distributed across the dorsal cortex. The electrophysiology headstage supported independent control of up to 4 silicon probes, enabling simultaneous recordings from 100s of neurons across multiple brain regions and multiple days. Cranial exoskeletons provide flexible platforms for largescale neural recording during the exploration of physical spaces, a critical new paradigm for unraveling the brain-wide neural mechanisms that control complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Hope
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Travis Beckerle
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Pin-Hao Cheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Zoey Viavattine
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Michael Feldkamp
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Skylar Fausner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Kapil Saxena
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Eunsong Ko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Ihor Hryb
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Russell Carter
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Timothy Ebner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
| | - Suhasa Kodandaramaiah
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
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6
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Wang J, Li Y, Qi L, Mamtilahun M, Liu C, Liu Z, Shi R, Wu S, Yang GY. Advanced rehabilitation in ischaemic stroke research. Stroke Vasc Neurol 2023:svn-2022-002285. [PMID: 37788912 DOI: 10.1136/svn-2022-002285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
At present, due to the rapid progress of treatment technology in the acute phase of ischaemic stroke, the mortality of patients has been greatly reduced but the number of disabled survivors is increasing, and most of them are elderly patients. Physicians and rehabilitation therapists pay attention to develop all kinds of therapist techniques including physical therapy techniques, robot-assisted technology and artificial intelligence technology, and study the molecular, cellular or synergistic mechanisms of rehabilitation therapies to promote the effect of rehabilitation therapy. Here, we discussed different animal and in vitro models of ischaemic stroke for rehabilitation studies; the compound concept and technology of neurological rehabilitation; all kinds of biological mechanisms of physical therapy; the significance, assessment and efficacy of neurological rehabilitation; the application of brain-computer interface, rehabilitation robotic and non-invasive brain stimulation technology in stroke rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jixian Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medical, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongfang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medical, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Qi
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Muyassar Mamtilahun
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ze Liu
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rubing Shi
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengju Wu
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guo-Yuan Yang
- Med-X Research Institute and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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7
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Kim SJ, Affan RO, Frostig H, Scott BB, Alexander AS. Advances in cellular resolution microscopy for brain imaging in rats. Neurophotonics 2023; 10:044304. [PMID: 38076724 PMCID: PMC10704261 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.10.4.044304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Rats are used in neuroscience research because of their physiological similarities with humans and accessibility as model organisms, trainability, and behavioral repertoire. In particular, rats perform a wide range of sophisticated social, cognitive, motor, and learning behaviors within the contexts of both naturalistic and laboratory environments. Further progress in neuroscience can be facilitated by using advanced imaging methods to measure the complex neural and physiological processes during behavior in rats. However, compared with the mouse, the rat nervous system offers a set of challenges, such as larger brain size, decreased neuron density, and difficulty with head restraint. Here, we review recent advances in in vivo imaging techniques in rats with a special focus on open-source solutions for calcium imaging. Finally, we provide suggestions for both users and developers of in vivo imaging systems for rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jin Kim
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Rifqi O. Affan
- Boston University, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Boston University, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Hadas Frostig
- Boston University, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Benjamin B. Scott
- Boston University, Center for Systems Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Boston University, Neurophotonics Center and Photonics Center, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Andrew S. Alexander
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Santa Barbara, California, United States
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Weiser SC, Mullen BR, Ascencio D, Ackman JB. Data-driven segmentation of cortical calcium dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011085. [PMID: 37126531 PMCID: PMC10174627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Demixing signals in transcranial videos of neuronal calcium flux across the cerebral hemispheres is a key step before mapping features of cortical organization. Here we demonstrate that independent component analysis can optimally recover neural signal content in widefield recordings of neuronal cortical calcium dynamics captured at a minimum sampling rate of 1.5×106 pixels per one-hundred millisecond frame for seventeen minutes with a magnification ratio of 1:1. We show that a set of spatial and temporal metrics obtained from the components can be used to build a random forest classifier, which separates neural activity and artifact components automatically at human performance. Using this data, we establish functional segmentation of the mouse cortex to provide a map of ~115 domains per hemisphere, in which extracted time courses maximally represent the underlying signal in each recording. Domain maps revealed substantial regional motifs, with higher order cortical regions presenting large, eccentric domains compared with smaller, more circular ones in primary sensory areas. This workflow of data-driven video decomposition and machine classification of signal sources can greatly enhance high quality mapping of complex cerebral dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney C. Weiser
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Brian R. Mullen
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Desiderio Ascencio
- Department of Psychology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - James B. Ackman
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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Yamada S, Wang Y, Monai H. Transcranial cortex-wide Ca 2+ imaging for the functional mapping of cortical dynamics. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1119793. [PMID: 36875638 PMCID: PMC9975744 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1119793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Visualization and tracking of the information flow in the broader brain area are essential because nerve cells make a vast network in the brain. Fluorescence Ca2+ imaging is a simultaneous visualization of brain cell activities in a wide area. Instead of classical chemical indicators, developing various types of transgenic animals that express Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent proteins enables us to observe brain activities in living animals at a larger scale for a long time. Multiple kinds of literature have reported that transcranial imaging of such transgenic animals is practical for monitoring the wide-field information flow across the broad brain regions, although it has a lower spatial resolution. Notably, this technique is helpful for the initial evaluation of cortical function in disease models. This review will introduce fully intact transcranial macroscopic imaging and cortex-wide Ca2+ imaging as practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serika Yamada
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yan Wang
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromu Monai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan.,Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan
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10
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Wang Y, Sepers MD, Xiao D, Raymond LA, Murphy TH. Water-Reaching Platform for Longitudinal Assessment of Cortical Activity and Fine Motor Coordination Defects in a Huntington Disease Mouse Model. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO. [PMID: 36596592 DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0452-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD), caused by dominantly inherited expansions of a CAG repeat results in characteristic motor dysfunction. Although gross motor defects have been extensively characterized in multiple HD mouse models using tasks such as rotarod and beam walking, less is known about forelimb deficits. We develop a high-throughput alternating reward/nonreward water-reaching task and training protocol conducted daily over approximately two months to simultaneously monitor forelimb impairment and mesoscale cortical changes in GCaMP activity, comparing female zQ175 (HD) and wild-type (WT) littermate mice, starting at ∼5.5 months. Behavioral analysis of the water-reaching task reveals that HD mice, despite learning the water-reaching task as proficiently as wild-type mice, take longer to learn the alternating event sequence as evident by impulsive (noncued) reaches and initially display reduced cortical activity associated with successful reaches. At this age gross motor defects determined by tapered beam assessment were not apparent. Although wild-type mice displayed no significant changes in cortical activity and reaching trajectory throughout the testing period, HD mice exhibited an increase in cortical activity, especially in the secondary motor and retrosplenial cortices, over time, as well as longer and more variable reaching trajectories by approximately seven months. HD mice also experienced a progressive reduction in successful performance. Tapered beam and rotarod tests as well as reduced DARPP-32 expression (striatal medium spiny neuron marker) after water-reaching assessment confirmed HD pathology. The water-reaching task can be used to inform on a daily basis, HD and other movement disorder onset and manifestation, therapeutic intervention windows, and test drug efficacy.
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11
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Wang Y, LeDue JM, Murphy TH. Multiscale imaging informs translational mouse modeling of neurological disease. Neuron 2022; 110:3688-3710. [PMID: 36198319 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Multiscale neurophysiology reveals that simple motor actions are associated with changes in neuronal firing in virtually every brain region studied. Accordingly, the assessment of focal pathology such as stroke or progressive neurodegenerative diseases must also extend widely across brain areas. To derive mechanistic information through imaging, multiple resolution scales and multimodal factors must be included, such as the structure and function of specific neurons and glial cells and the dynamics of specific neurotransmitters. Emerging multiscale methods in preclinical animal studies that span micro- to macroscale examinations fill this gap, allowing a circuit-based understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms. Combined with high-performance computation and open-source data repositories, these emerging multiscale and large field-of-view techniques include live functional ultrasound, multi- and single-photon wide-scale light microscopy, video-based miniscopes, and tissue-penetrating fiber photometry, as well as variants of post-mortem expansion microscopy. We present these technologies and outline use cases and data pipelines to uncover new knowledge within animal models of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundi Wang
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jeffrey M LeDue
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 2215 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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12
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Nietz AK, Popa LS, Streng ML, Carter RE, Kodandaramaiah SB, Ebner TJ. Wide-Field Calcium Imaging of Neuronal Network Dynamics In Vivo. Biology (Basel) 2022; 11. [PMID: 36358302 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A central tenet of neuroscience is that sensory, motor, and cognitive behaviors are generated by the communications and interactions among neurons, distributed within and across anatomically and functionally distinct brain regions. Therefore, to decipher how the brain plans, learns, and executes behaviors requires characterizing neuronal activity at multiple spatial and temporal scales. This includes simultaneously recording neuronal dynamics at the mesoscale level to understand the interactions among brain regions during different behavioral and brain states. Wide-field Ca2+ imaging, which uses single photon excitation and improved genetically encoded Ca2+ indicators, allows for simultaneous recordings of large brain areas and is proving to be a powerful tool to study neuronal activity at the mesoscopic scale in behaving animals. This review details the techniques used for wide-field Ca2+ imaging and the various approaches employed for the analyses of the rich neuronal-behavioral data sets obtained. Also discussed is how wide-field Ca2+ imaging is providing novel insights into both normal and altered neural processing in disease. Finally, we examine the limitations of the approach and new developments in wide-field Ca2+ imaging that are bringing new capabilities to this important technique for investigating large-scale neuronal dynamics.
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13
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Barkus C, Bergmann C, Branco T, Carandini M, Chadderton PT, Galiñanes GL, Gilmour G, Huber D, Huxter JR, Khan AG, King AJ, Maravall M, O'Mahony T, Ragan CI, Robinson ESJ, Schaefer AT, Schultz SR, Sengpiel F, Prescott MJ. Refinements to rodent head fixation and fluid/food control for neuroscience. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 381:109705. [PMID: 36096238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The use of head fixation in mice is increasingly common in research, its use having initially been restricted to the field of sensory neuroscience. Head restraint has often been combined with fluid control, rather than food restriction, to motivate behaviour, but this too is now in use for both restrained and non-restrained animals. Despite this, there is little guidance on how best to employ these techniques to optimise both scientific outcomes and animal welfare. This article summarises current practices and provides recommendations to improve animal wellbeing and data quality, based on a survey of the community, literature reviews, and the expert opinion and practical experience of an international working group convened by the UK's National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). Topics covered include head fixation surgery and post-operative care, habituation to restraint, and the use of fluid/food control to motivate performance. We also discuss some recent developments that may offer alternative ways to collect data from large numbers of behavioural trials without the need for restraint. The aim is to provide support for researchers at all levels, animal care staff, and ethics committees to refine procedures and practices in line with the refinement principle of the 3Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Barkus
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK.
| | | | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matteo Carandini
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul T Chadderton
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Huber
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Adil G Khan
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Miguel Maravall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Tina O'Mahony
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - C Ian Ragan
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andreas T Schaefer
- Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Simon R Schultz
- Centre for Neurotechnology and Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mark J Prescott
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK
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14
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Abstract
The past decade has witnessed remarkable advances in the simultaneous measurement of neuronal activity across many brain regions, enabling fundamentally new explorations of the brain-spanning cellular dynamics that underlie sensation, cognition and action. These recently developed multiregion recording techniques have provided many experimental opportunities, but thoughtful consideration of methodological trade-offs is necessary, especially regarding field of view, temporal acquisition rate and ability to guarantee cellular resolution. When applied in concert with modern optogenetic and computational tools, multiregion recording has already made possible fundamental biological discoveries - in part via the unprecedented ability to perform unbiased neural activity screens for principles of brain function, spanning dozens of brain areas and from local to global scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A Machado
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Isaac V Kauvar
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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15
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Kadmon Harpaz N, Hardcastle K, Ölveczky BP. Learning-induced changes in the neural circuits underlying motor sequence execution. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102624. [PMID: 36030613 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
As the old adage goes: practice makes perfect. Yet, the neural mechanisms by which rote repetition transforms a halting behavior into a fluid, effortless, and "automatic" action are not well understood. Here we consider the possibility that well-practiced motor sequences, which initially rely on higher-level decision-making circuits, become wholly specified in lower-level control circuits. We review studies informing this idea, discuss the constraints on such shift in control, and suggest approaches to pinpoint circuit-level changes associated with motor sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naama Kadmon Harpaz
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University. https://twitter.com/@NKadmonHarpaz
| | - Kiah Hardcastle
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University. https://twitter.com/@kiahhardcastle
| | - Bence P Ölveczky
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University.
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Puścian
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders – BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteur 3 Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewelina Knapska
- Nencki-EMBL Partnership for Neural Plasticity and Brain Disorders – BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Pasteur 3 Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
- Corresponding author
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17
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Yeon C, Im JM, Kim M, Kim YR, Chung E. Cranial and Spinal Window Preparation for in vivo Optical Neuroimaging in Rodents and Related Experimental Techniques. Exp Neurobiol 2022; 31:131-146. [PMID: 35786637 PMCID: PMC9272117 DOI: 10.5607/en22015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical neuroimaging provides an effective neuroscience tool for multi-scale investigation of the neural structures and functions, ranging from molecular, cellular activities to the inter-regional connectivity assessment. Amongst experimental preparations, the implementation of an artificial window to the central nervous system (CNS) is primarily required for optical visualization of the CNS and associated brain activities through the opaque skin and bone. Either thinning down or removing portions of the skull or spine is necessary for unobstructed long-term in vivo observations, for which types of the cranial and spinal window and applied materials vary depending on the study objectives. As diversely useful, a window can be designed to accommodate other experimental methods such as electrophysiology or optogenetics. Moreover, auxiliary apparatuses would allow the recording in synchrony with behavior of large-scale brain connectivity signals across the CNS, such as olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Such advancements in the cranial and spinal window have resulted in a paradigm shift in neuroscience, enabling in vivo investigation of the brain function and dysfunction at the microscopic, cellular level. This Review addresses the types and classifications of windows used in optical neuroimaging while describing how to perform in vivo studies using rodent models in combination with other experimental modalities during behavioral tests. The cranial and spinal window has enabled longitudinal examination of evolving neural mechanisms via in situ visualization of the brain. We expect transformable and multi-functional cranial and spinal windows to become commonplace in neuroscience laboratories, further facilitating advances in optical neuroimaging systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanmi Yeon
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Korea
| | - Jeong Myo Im
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Korea
| | - Minsung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Korea
| | - Young Ro Kim
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.,Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Euiheon Chung
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Korea.,AI Graduate School, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Korea.,Research Center for Photon Science Technology, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Korea
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18
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Bermudez Contreras E, Sutherland RJ, Mohajerani MH, Whishaw IQ. Challenges of a small world analysis for the continuous monitoring of behavior in mice. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104621. [PMID: 35307475 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Documenting a mouse's "real world" behavior in the "small world" of a laboratory cage with continuous video recordings offers insights into phenotypical expression of mouse genotypes, development and aging, and neurological disease. Nevertheless, there are challenges in the design of a small world, the behavior selected for analysis, and the form of the analysis used. Here we offer insights into small world analyses by describing how acute behavioral procedures can guide continuous behavioral methodology. We show how algorithms can identify behavioral acts including walking and rearing, circadian patterns of action including sleep duration and waking activity, and the organization of patterns of movement into home base activity and excursions, and how they are altered with aging. We additionally describe how specific tests can be incorporated within a mouse's living arrangement. We emphasize how machine learning can condense and organize continuous activity that extends over extended periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert J Sutherland
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada.
| | - Ian Q Whishaw
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Canada
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19
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Kim SJ, Slocum AH, Scott BB. A miniature kinematic coupling device for mouse head fixation. J Neurosci Methods 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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20
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Xiao D, Forys BJ, Vanni MP, Murphy TH. MesoNet allows automated scaling and segmentation of mouse mesoscale cortical maps using machine learning. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5992. [PMID: 34645817 PMCID: PMC8514445 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26255-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the basis of brain function requires knowledge of cortical operations over wide spatial scales and the quantitative analysis of brain activity in well-defined brain regions. Matching an anatomical atlas to brain functional data requires substantial labor and expertise. Here, we developed an automated machine learning-based registration and segmentation approach for quantitative analysis of mouse mesoscale cortical images. A deep learning model identifies nine cortical landmarks using only a single raw fluorescent image. Another fully convolutional network was adapted to delimit brain boundaries. This anatomical alignment approach was extended by adding three functional alignment approaches that use sensory maps or spatial-temporal activity motifs. We present this methodology as MesoNet, a robust and user-friendly analysis pipeline using pre-trained models to segment brain regions as defined in the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas. This Python-based toolbox can also be combined with existing methods to facilitate high-throughput data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Xiao
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brandon J Forys
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthieu P Vanni
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, British Columbia, Canada
- Université de Montréal, École d'Optométrie, 3744 Jean Brillant H3T 1P1, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- University of British Columbia, Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, British Columbia, Canada.
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21
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Woodard CL, Sepers MD, Raymond LA. Impaired Refinement of Kinematic Variability in Huntington Disease Mice on an Automated Home Cage Forelimb Motor Task. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8589-602. [PMID: 34429377 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0165-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The effective development of novel therapies in mouse models of neurologic disorders relies on behavioral assessments that provide accurate read-outs of neuronal dysfunction and/or degeneration. We designed an automated behavioral testing system (PiPaw), which integrates an operant lever-pulling task directly into the mouse home cage. This task is accessible to group-housed mice 24 h per day, enabling high-throughput longitudinal analysis of forelimb motor learning. Moreover, this design eliminates the need for exposure to novel environments and minimizes experimenter interaction, significantly reducing two of the largest stressors associated with animal behavior. Male mice improved their performance of this task over 1 week of testing by reducing intertrial variability of reward-related kinematic parameters (pull amplitude or peak velocity). In addition, mice displayed short-term improvements in reward rate, and a concomitant decrease in movement variability, over the course of brief bouts of task engagement. We used this system to assess motor learning in mouse models of the inherited neurodegenerative disorder, Huntington disease (HD). Despite having no baseline differences in task performance, male Q175-FDN HD mice were unable to modulate the variability of their movements to increase reward on either short or long timescales. Task training was associated with a decrease in the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory activity recorded from striatal medium spiny neurons in the hemisphere contralateral to the trained forelimb in WT mice; however, no such changes were observed in Q175-FDN mice. This behavioral screening platform should prove useful for preclinical drug trials toward improved treatments in HD and other neurologic disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In order to develop effective therapies for neurologic disorders, such as Huntington disease (HD), it is important to be able to accurately and reliably assess the behavior of mouse models of these conditions. Moreover, these behavioral assessments should provide an accurate readout of underlying neuronal dysfunction and/or degeneration. In this paper, we used an automated behavioral testing system to assess motor learning in mice within their home cage. Using this system, we were able to study motor abnormalities in HD mice with an unprecedented level of detail, and identified a specific behavioral deficit associated with an underlying impairment in striatal neuronal plasticity. These results validate the usefulness of this system for assessing behavior in mouse models of HD and other neurologic disorders.
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22
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Abstract
Most would agree that animals in research should be spared "unnecessary" harm, pain, or distress, and there is also growing interest in providing animals with some form of environmental enrichment. But is this the standard of care that we should aspire to? We argue that we need to work towards a higher standard-specifically, that providing research animals with a "good life" should be a prerequisite for their use. The aims of this paper are to illustrate our vision of a "good life" for laboratory rats and mice and to provide a roadmap for achieving this vision. We recognize that several research procedures are clearly incompatible with a good life but describe here what we consider to be the minimum day-to-day living conditions to be met when using rodents in research. A good life requires that animals can express a rich behavioral repertoire, use their abilities, and fulfill their potential through active engagement with their environment. In the first section, we describe how animals could be housed for these requirements to be fulfilled, from simple modifications to standard housing through to better cage designs and free-ranging options. In the second section, we review the types of interactions with laboratory rodents that are compatible with a good life. In the third section, we address the potential for the animals to have a life outside of research, including the use of pets in clinical trials (the animal-as-patient model) and the adoption of research animals to new homes when they are no longer needed in research. We conclude with a few suggestions for achieving our vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Joanna Makowska
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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23
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Gui S, Li J, Li M, Shi L, Lu J, Shen S, Li P, Mei W. Revealing the Cortical Glutamatergic Neural Activity During Burst Suppression by Simultaneous wide Field Calcium Imaging and Electroencephalography in Mice. Neuroscience 2021; 469:110-124. [PMID: 34237388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Burst suppression (BS) is an electroencephalogram (EEG) pattern in which signals alternates between high-amplitude slow waves (burst waves) and nearly flat low-amplitude waves (suppression waves). In this study, we used wide-field (8.32 mm × 8.32 mm) fluorescent calcium imaging to record the activity of glutamatergic neurons in the parietal and occipital cortex, in conjunction with EEG recordings under BS induced by different anesthetics (sevoflurane, isoflurane, and propofol), to investigate the spatiotemporal pattern of neural activity under BS. The calcium signal of all observed cortices was decreased during the phase of EEG suppression. However, during the phase of EEG burst, the calcium signal in areas of the medial cortex, such as the secondary motor and retrosplenial area, was excited, whereas the signal in areas of the lateral cortex, such as the hindlimb cortex, forelimb cortex, barrel field, and primary visual area, was still suppressed or only weakly excited. Correlation analysis showed a strong correlation between the EEG signal and the calcium signal in the medial cortex under BS (except for propofol induced signals). As the burst-suppression ratio (BSR) increased, the regions with strong correlation coefficients became smaller, but strong correlation coefficients were still noted in the medial cortex. Taken together, our results reveal the landscape of cortical activity underlying BS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Gui
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Jiayan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Miaowen Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Liang Shi
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Jinling Lu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Shiqian Shen
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02121, United States
| | - Pengcheng Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China; HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215125, China.
| | - Wei Mei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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24
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Couto J, Musall S, Sun XR, Khanal A, Gluf S, Saxena S, Kinsella I, Abe T, Cunningham JP, Paninski L, Churchland AK. Chronic, cortex-wide imaging of specific cell populations during behavior. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:3241-3263. [PMID: 34075229 PMCID: PMC8788140 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00527-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of neuronal activity across brain areas are important for understanding the neural correlates of cognitive and motor processes such as attention, decision-making and action selection. However, techniques that allow cellular resolution measurements are expensive and require a high degree of technical expertise, which limits their broad use. Wide-field imaging of genetically encoded indicators is a high-throughput, cost-effective and flexible approach to measure activity of specific cell populations with high temporal resolution and a cortex-wide field of view. Here we outline our protocol for assembling a wide-field macroscope setup, performing surgery to prepare the intact skull and imaging neural activity chronically in behaving, transgenic mice. Further, we highlight a processing pipeline that leverages novel, cloud-based methods to analyze large-scale imaging datasets. The protocol targets laboratories that are seeking to build macroscopes, optimize surgical procedures for long-term chronic imaging and/or analyze cortex-wide neuronal recordings. The entire protocol, including steps for assembly and calibration of the macroscope, surgical preparation, imaging and data analysis, requires a total of 8 h. It is designed to be accessible to laboratories with limited expertise in imaging methods or interest in high-throughput imaging during behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joao Couto
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Simon Musall
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Biology 2, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Xiaonan R Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Anup Khanal
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven Gluf
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Shreya Saxena
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ian Kinsella
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Taiga Abe
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - John P Cunningham
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Liam Paninski
- Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Grossman Center for the Statistics of Mind, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne K Churchland
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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25
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Abstract
Goal-directed behaviors involve distributed brain networks. The small size of the mouse brain makes it amenable to manipulations of neural activity dispersed across brain areas, but existing optogenetic methods serially test a few brain regions at a time, which slows comprehensive mapping of distributed networks. Laborious operant conditioning training required for most experimental paradigms exacerbates this bottleneck. We present an autonomous workflow to survey the involvement of brain regions at scale during operant behaviors in mice. Naive mice living in a home-cage system learned voluntary head-fixation (>1 hr/day) and performed difficult decision-making tasks, including contingency reversals, for 2 months without human supervision. We incorporated an optogenetic approach to manipulate activity in deep brain regions through intact skull during home-cage behavior. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we tested dozens of mice in parallel unsupervised optogenetic experiments, revealing multiple regions in cortex, striatum, and superior colliculus involved in tactile decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyao Hao
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
| | | | - Nuo Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
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26
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Rynes ML, Surinach DA, Linn S, Laroque M, Rajendran V, Dominguez J, Hadjistamoulou O, Navabi ZS, Ghanbari L, Johnson GW, Nazari M, Mohajerani MH, Kodandaramaiah SB. Miniaturized head-mounted microscope for whole-cortex mesoscale imaging in freely behaving mice. Nat Methods 2021; 18:417-425. [PMID: 33820987 PMCID: PMC8034419 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01104-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The advent of genetically encoded calcium indicators, along with surgical preparations such as thinned skulls or refractive index matched skulls, have enabled mesoscale cortical activity imaging in head-fixed mice. However, neural activity during unrestrained behavior substantially differs from neural activity in head-fixed animals. For whole-cortex imaging in freely behaving mice, we here present the “mini-mScope,” a wide-field, miniaturized, and head-mounted fluorescence microscope compatible with transparent polymer skull preparations. With a field of view of 8 mm x 10 mm and weighing less than 4 g, the mini-mScope can image most of the mouse dorsal cortex with resolution ranging from 39 to 56 μm. We have used the mini-mScope to record mesoscale calcium activity across the dorsal cortex during sensory-evoked stimuli, open field behaviors, social interactions, and transitions from wakefulness to sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew L Rynes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Daniel A Surinach
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Samantha Linn
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Michael Laroque
- Schools of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Vijay Rajendran
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Judith Dominguez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Orestes Hadjistamoulou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zahra S Navabi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Leila Ghanbari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Gregory W Johnson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mojtaba Nazari
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Majid H Mohajerani
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Suhasa B Kodandaramaiah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA. .,Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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27
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Doostdar N, Airey J, Radulescu CI, Melgosa-Ecenarro L, Zabouri N, Pavlidi P, Kopanitsa M, Saito T, Saido T, Barnes SJ. Multi-scale network imaging in a mouse model of amyloidosis. Cell Calcium 2021; 95:102365. [PMID: 33610083 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2021.102365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The adult neocortex is not hard-wired but instead retains the capacity to reorganise across multiple spatial scales long into adulthood. Plastic reorganisation occurs at the level of mesoscopic sensory maps, functional neuronal assemblies and synaptic ensembles and is thought to be a critical feature of neuronal network function. Here, we describe a series of approaches that use calcium imaging to measure network reorganisation across multiple spatial scales in vivo. At the mesoscopic level, we demonstrate that sensory activity can be measured in animals undergoing longitudinal behavioural assessment involving automated touchscreen tasks. At the cellular level, we show that network dynamics can be longitudinally measured at both stable and transient functional assemblies. At the level of single synapses, we show that functional subcellular calcium imaging approaches can be used to measure synaptic ensembles of dendritic spines in vivo. Finally, we demonstrate that all three levels of imaging can be spatially related to local pathology in a preclinical rodent model of amyloidosis. We propose that multi-scale in vivo calcium imaging can be used to measure parallel plasticity processes operating across multiple spatial scales in both the healthy brain and preclinical models of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazanin Doostdar
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Airey
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Carola I Radulescu
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Leire Melgosa-Ecenarro
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Nawal Zabouri
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Pavlina Pavlidi
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Maksym Kopanitsa
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Takashi Saito
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi, 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takaomi Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Centre for Brain Science, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Samuel J Barnes
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom.
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28
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Hoover EM, Crouzet C, Bordas JM, Figueroa Velez DX, Gandhi SP, Choi B, Lodoen MB. Transcranial chronic optical access to longitudinally measure cerebral blood flow. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 350:109044. [PMID: 33340556 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The regulation of cerebral blood flow is critical for normal brain functioning, and many physiological and pathological conditions can have long-term impacts on cerebral blood flow. However, minimally invasive tools to study chronic changes in animal models are limited. NEW METHOD We developed a minimally invasive surgical technique (cyanoacrylate skull, CAS) allowing us to image cerebral blood flow longitudinally through the intact mouse skull using laser speckle imaging. RESULTS With CAS we were able to detect acute changes in cerebral blood flow induced by hypercapnic challenge. We were also able to image cerebral blood flow dynamics with laser speckle imaging for over 100 days. Furthermore, the relative cerebral blood flow remained stable in mice from 30 days to greater than 100 days after the surgery. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Previously, achieving continuous long-term optical access to measure cerebral blood flow in individual vessels in a mouse model involved invasive surgery. In contrast, the CAS technique presented here is relatively non-invasive, as it allows stable optical access through an intact mouse skull. CONCLUSIONS The CAS technique allows researcher to chronically measure cerebral blood flow dynamics for a significant portion of a mouse's lifespan. This approach may be useful for studying changes in blood flow due to cerebral pathology or for examining the therapeutic effects of modifying cerebral blood flow in mouse models relevant to human disease.
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29
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Groblewski PA, Sullivan D, Lecoq J, de Vries SEJ, Caldejon S, L'Heureux Q, Keenan T, Roll K, Slaughterback C, Williford A, Farrell C. A standardized head-fixation system for performing large-scale, in vivo physiological recordings in mice. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 346:108922. [PMID: 32946912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Allen Institute recently built a set of high-throughput experimental pipelines to collect comprehensive in vivo surveys of physiological activity in the visual cortex of awake, head-fixed mice. Developing these large-scale, industrial-like pipelines posed many scientific, operational, and engineering challenges. NEW METHOD Our strategies for creating a cross-platform reference space to which all pipeline datasets were mapped required development of 1) a robust headframe, 2) a reproducible clamping system, and 3) data-collection systems that are built, and maintained, around precise alignment with a reference artifact. RESULTS When paired with our pipeline clamping system, our headframe exceeded deflection and reproducibility requirements. By leveraging our headframe and clamping system we were able to create a cross-platform reference space to which multi-modal imaging datasets could be mapped. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Together, the Allen Brain Observatory headframe, surgical tooling, clamping system, and system registration strategy create a unique system for collecting large amounts of standardized in vivo datasets over long periods of time. Moreover, the integrated approach to cross-platform registration allows for multi-modal datasets to be collected within a shared reference space. CONCLUSIONS Here we report the engineering strategies that we implemented when creating the Allen Brain Observatory physiology pipelines. All of the documentation related to headframe, surgical tooling, and clamp design has been made freely available and can be readily manufactured or procured. The engineering strategy, or components of the strategy, described in this report can be tailored and applied by external researchers to improve data standardization and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Groblewski
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
| | - D Sullivan
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - J Lecoq
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - S E J de Vries
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - S Caldejon
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Q L'Heureux
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - T Keenan
- Amazon Logistics, Bellevue, WA, 98004, USA
| | - K Roll
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | | | - A Williford
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - C Farrell
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
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30
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Allegra Mascaro AL, Conti E, Lai S, Di Giovanna AP, Spalletti C, Alia C, Panarese A, Scaglione A, Sacconi L, Micera S, Caleo M, Pavone FS. Combined Rehabilitation Promotes the Recovery of Structural and Functional Features of Healthy Neuronal Networks after Stroke. Cell Rep 2020; 28:3474-3485.e6. [PMID: 31553915 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rehabilitation is considered the most effective treatment for promoting the recovery of motor deficits after stroke. One of the most challenging experimental goals is to unambiguously link brain rewiring to motor improvement prompted by rehabilitative therapy. Previous work showed that robotic training combined with transient inactivation of the contralesional cortex promotes a generalized recovery in a mouse model of stroke. Here, we use advanced optical imaging and manipulation tools to study cortical remodeling induced by this rehabilitation paradigm. We show that the stabilization of peri-infarct synaptic contacts accompanies increased vascular density induced by angiogenesis. Furthermore, temporal and spatial features of cortical activation recover toward pre-stroke conditions through the progressive formation of a new motor representation in the peri-infarct area. In the same animals, we observe reinforcement of inter-hemispheric connectivity. Our results provide evidence that combined rehabilitation promotes the restoration of structural and functional features distinctive of healthy neuronal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Letizia Allegra Mascaro
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council, Pisa 56124, Italy; European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy.
| | - Emilia Conti
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Stefano Lai
- Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | | | | | - Claudia Alia
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Alessandro Panarese
- Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Alessandro Scaglione
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Leonardo Sacconi
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy; National Institute of Optics, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
| | - Silvestro Micera
- Translational Neural Engineering Area, The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa 56127, Italy; Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational NeuroEngineering, Centre for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council, Pisa 56124, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Francesco Saverio Pavone
- European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy; National Institute of Optics, National Research Council, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
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Abstract
In most species, survival relies on the hypothalamic control of endocrine axes that regulate critical functions such as reproduction, growth, and metabolism. For decades, the complexity and inaccessibility of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis has prevented researchers from elucidating the relationship between the activity of endocrine hypothalamic neurons and pituitary hormone secretion. Indeed, the study of central control of endocrine function has been largely dominated by 'traditional' techniques that consist of studying in vitro or ex vivo isolated cell types without taking into account the complexity of regulatory mechanisms at the level of the brain, pituitary and periphery. Nowadays, by exploiting modern neuronal transfection and imaging techniques, it is possible to study hypothalamic neuron activity in situ, in real time, and in conscious animals. Deep-brain imaging of calcium activity can be performed through gradient-index lenses that are chronically implanted and offer a 'window into the brain' to image multiple neurons at single-cell resolution. With this review, we aim to highlight deep-brain imaging techniques that enable the study of neuroendocrine neurons in awake animals whilst maintaining the integrity of regulatory loops between the brain, pituitary and peripheral glands. Furthermore, to assist researchers in setting up these techniques, we discuss the equipment required and include a practical step-by-step guide to performing these deep-brain imaging studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Campos
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Correspondence should be addressed to P Campos:
| | - Jamie J Walker
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Patrice Mollard
- IGF, University of Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
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32
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Woodard CL, Nasrallah WB, Samiei BV, Murphy TH, Raymond LA. PiDose: an open-source system for accurate and automated oral drug administration to group-housed mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11584. [PMID: 32665577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68477-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug treatment studies in laboratory mice typically employ manual administration methods such as injection or gavage, which can be time-consuming to perform over long periods and cause substantial stress in animals. These stress responses may mask or enhance treatment effects, increasing the risk of false positive or negative results and decreasing reliability. To address the lack of an automated method for drug treatment in group-housed mice, we have developed PiDose, a home-cage attached device that weighs individual animals and administers a daily dosage of drug solution based on each animal’s bodyweight through their drinking water. Group housed mice are identified through the use of RFID tagging and receive both regular water and drug solution drops by licking at a spout within the PiDose module. This system allows animals to be treated over long periods (weeks to months) in a fully automated fashion, with high accuracy and minimal experimenter interaction. PiDose is low-cost and fully open-source and should prove useful for researchers in both translational and basic research.
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33
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MacDowell CJ, Buschman TJ. Low-Dimensional Spatiotemporal Dynamics Underlie Cortex-wide Neural Activity. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2665-2680.e8. [PMID: 32470366 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cognition arises from the dynamic flow of neural activity through the brain. To capture these dynamics, we used mesoscale calcium imaging to record neural activity across the dorsal cortex of awake mice. We found that the large majority of variance in cortex-wide activity (∼75%) could be explained by a limited set of ∼14 "motifs" of neural activity. Each motif captured a unique spatiotemporal pattern of neural activity across the cortex. These motifs generalized across animals and were seen in multiple behavioral environments. Motif expression differed across behavioral states, and specific motifs were engaged by sensory processing, suggesting the motifs reflect core cortical computations. Together, our results show that cortex-wide neural activity is highly dynamic but that these dynamics are restricted to a low-dimensional set of motifs, potentially allowing for efficient control of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camden J MacDowell
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 125 Paterson St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
| | - Timothy J Buschman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Washington Rd., Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
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34
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Sato TK. Long-range connections enrich cortical computations. Neurosci Res 2020; 162:1-12. [PMID: 32470355 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex can perform powerful computations, including those involved in higher cognitive functions. Cortical processing for such computations is executed by local circuits and is further enriched by long-range connectivity. This connectivity is activated under specific conditions and modulates local processing, providing flexibility in the computational performance of the cortex. For instance, long-range connectivity in the primary visual cortex exerts facilitatory impacts when the cortex is silent but suppressive impacts when the cortex is strongly sensory-stimulated. These dual impacts can be captured by a divisive gain control model. Recent methodological advances such as optogenetics, anatomical tracing, and two-photon microscopy have enabled neuroscientists to probe the circuit and synaptic bases of long-range connectivity in detail. Here, I review a series of evidence indicating essential roles of long-range connectivity in visual and hierarchical processing involving numerous cortical areas. I also describe an overview of the challenges encountered in investigating underlying synaptic mechanisms and highlight recent technical approaches that may overcome these difficulties and provide new insights into synaptic mechanisms for cortical processing involving long-range connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuo K Sato
- Dept. of Physiology, Neuroscience Program, Biomedicine Discovery Inst., Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
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35
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Murphy TH, Michelson NJ, Boyd JD, Fong T, Bolanos LA, Bierbrauer D, Siu T, Balbi M, Bolanos F, Vanni M, LeDue JM. Automated task training and longitudinal monitoring of mouse mesoscale cortical circuits using home cages. eLife 2020; 9:55964. [PMID: 32412409 PMCID: PMC7332290 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy H Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Michelson
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jamie D Boyd
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Tony Fong
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Luis A Bolanos
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - David Bierbrauer
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Teri Siu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Matilde Balbi
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Federico Bolanos
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Matthieu Vanni
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jeff M LeDue
- Department of Psychiatry, Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Vancouver, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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36
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Xie H, Chung DY, Kura S, Sugimoto K, Aykan SA, Wu Y, Sakadžić S, Yaseen MA, Boas DA, Ayata C. Differential effects of anesthetics on resting state functional connectivity in the mouse. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2020; 40:875-884. [PMID: 31092086 PMCID: PMC7168791 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x19847123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) is a standard approach to examine resting state functional connectivity (RSFC), but fMRI in animal models is challenging. Recently, functional optical intrinsic signal imaging-which relies on the same hemodynamic signal underlying BOLD fMRI-has been developed as a complementary approach to assess RSFC in mice. Since it is difficult to ensure that an animal is in a truly resting state while awake, RSFC measurements under anesthesia remain an important approach. Therefore, we systematically examined measures of RSFC using non-invasive, widefield optical intrinsic signal imaging under five different anesthetics in male C57BL/6J mice. We find excellent seed-based, global, and interhemispheric connectivity using tribromoethanol (Avertin) and ketamine-xylazine, comparable to results in the literature including awake animals. Urethane anesthesia yielded intermediate results, while chloral hydrate and isoflurane were both associated with poor RSFC. Furthermore, we found a correspondence between the strength of RSFC and the power of low-frequency hemodynamic fluctuations. In conclusion, Avertin and ketamine-xylazine provide robust and reproducible measures of RSFC in mice, whereas chloral hydrate and isoflurane do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Xie
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Rehabilitation, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - David Y Chung
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Division of Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sreekanth Kura
- Neurophotonics Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kazutaka Sugimoto
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Sanem A Aykan
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Yi Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sava Sakadžić
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Mohammad A Yaseen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - David A Boas
- Neurophotonics Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Cenk Ayata
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Stroke Service, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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37
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Abstract
The cortex is crucial for many behaviors, ranging from sensory-based behaviors to working memory and social behaviors. To gain an in-depth understanding of the contribution to these behaviors, cellular and sub-cellular recordings from both individual and populations of cortical neurons are vital. However, techniques allowing such recordings, such as two-photon imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology, require absolute stability of the head, a requirement not often fulfilled in freely moving animals. Here, we review and compare behavioral paradigms that have been developed and adapted for the head-fixed preparation, which together offer the needed stability for live recordings of neural activity in behaving animals. We also review how the head-fixed preparation has been used to explore the function of primary sensory cortices, posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and anterior lateral motor (ALM) cortex in sensory-based behavioral tasks, while also discussing the considerations of performing such recordings. Overall, this review highlights the head-fixed preparation as allowing in-depth investigation into the neural activity underlying behaviors by providing highly controllable settings for precise stimuli presentation which can be combined with behavioral paradigms ranging from simple sensory detection tasks to complex, cross-modal, memory-guided decision-making tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Sofie Bjerre
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lucy M Palmer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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38
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Maor I, Shwartz-Ziv R, Feigin L, Elyada Y, Sompolinsky H, Mizrahi A. Neural Correlates of Learning Pure Tones or Natural Sounds in the Auditory Cortex. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 13:82. [PMID: 32047424 PMCID: PMC6997498 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Associative learning of pure tones is known to cause tonotopic map expansion in the auditory cortex (ACx), but the function this plasticity sub-serves is unclear. We developed an automated training platform called the “Educage,” which was used to train mice on a go/no-go auditory discrimination task to their perceptual limits, for difficult discriminations among pure tones or natural sounds. Spiking responses of excitatory and inhibitory parvalbumin (PV+) L2/3 neurons in mouse ACx revealed learning-induced overrepresentation of the learned frequencies, as expected from previous literature. The coordinated plasticity of excitatory and inhibitory neurons supports a role for PV+ neurons in homeostatic maintenance of excitation–inhibition balance within the circuit. Using a novel computational model to study auditory tuning curves, we show that overrepresentation of the learned tones does not necessarily improve discrimination performance of the network to these tones. In a separate set of experiments, we trained mice to discriminate among natural sounds. Perceptual learning of natural sounds induced “sparsening” and decorrelation of the neural response, consequently improving discrimination of these complex sounds. This signature of plasticity in A1 highlights its role in coding natural sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Maor
- Department of Neurobiology, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ravid Shwartz-Ziv
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Libi Feigin
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yishai Elyada
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haim Sompolinsky
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Adi Mizrahi
- Department of Neurobiology, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Santana-Chávez G, Rodriguez-Moreno P, López-Hidalgo M, Olivares-Moreno R, Moreno-López Y, Rojas-Piloni G. Operant conditioning paradigm for juxtacellular recordings in functionally identified cortical neurons during motor execution in head-fixed rats. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 329:108454. [PMID: 31669337 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the configuration of neural circuits and the specific role of distinct cortical neuron types involved in behavior, requires the study of structure-function and connectivity relationships with single cell resolution in awake behaving animals. Despite head-fixed behaving rats have been used for in vivo measuring of neuronal activity, it is a concern that head fixation could change the performance of behavioral task. NEW METHOD We describe the procedures for efficiently training Wistar rats to develop a behavioral task, involving planning and execution of a qualified movement in response to a visual cue under head-fixed conditions. The behavioral and movement performance in freely moving vs head-fixed conditions was analyzed. RESULTS The best behavioral performance was obtained in the rats that were trained first in freely moving conditions and then placed in a head-restrained condition compared with the animals which first were habituated to head-restriction and then learned the task. Moreover, head restriction did not alter the movement performance. Stable juxtacellular recordings from sensorimotor cortex neurons were obtained while the rats were performing forelimb movements. Biocytin electroporation and retrograde tracer injections, permits identify the hodology of individual long-range projecting neurons. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Our method shows no difference in the behavioral performance of head fixed and freely moving conditions. Also includes a computer aided design of a discrete and ergonomic head-post allowing enough stability to perform juxtacellular recording and labeling of cortical neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our method is suitable for the in vivo characterization of neuronal circuits and their long-range connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Santana-Chávez
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Paola Rodriguez-Moreno
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Mónica López-Hidalgo
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Juriquilla, UNAM, Querétaro, Qro, Mexico
| | - Rafael Olivares-Moreno
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Yunuen Moreno-López
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Gerardo Rojas-Piloni
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus UNAM-Juriquilla, Querétaro, Mexico.
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Abstract
Behavioral phenotyping of mice is often compromised by manual interventions of the experimenter and limited throughput. Here, we describe a fully automated behavior setup that allows for quantitative analysis of mouse olfaction with minimized experimenter involvement. Mice are group-housed and tagged with unique RFID chips. They can freely initiate trials and are automatically trained on a go/no-go task, learning to distinguish a rewarded from an unrewarded odor. Further, odor discrimination tasks and detailed training aspects can be set for each animal individually for automated execution without direct experimenter intervention. The procedure described here, from initial RFID implantation to discrimination of complex odor mixtures at high accuracy, can be completed within <2 months with cohorts of up to 25 male mice. Apart from the presentation of monomolecular odors, the setup can generate arbitrary mixtures and dilutions from any set of odors to create complex stimuli, enabling demanding behavioral analyses at high-throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine K. Reinert
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas T. Schaefer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Neurophysiology of Behaviour Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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White BR, Padawer-Curry JA, Cohen AS, Licht DJ, Yodh AG. Brain segmentation, spatial censoring, and averaging techniques for optical functional connectivity imaging in mice. Biomed Opt Express 2019; 10:5952-5973. [PMID: 31799057 PMCID: PMC6865125 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.005952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Resting-state functional connectivity analysis using optical neuroimaging holds the potential to be a powerful bridge between mouse models of disease and clinical neurologic monitoring. However, analysis techniques specific to optical methods are rudimentary, and algorithms from magnetic resonance imaging are not always applicable to optics. We have developed visual processing tools to increase data quality, improve brain segmentation, and average across sessions with better field-of-view. We demonstrate improved performance using resting-state optical intrinsic signal from normal mice. The proposed methods increase the amount of usable data from neuroimaging studies, improve image fidelity, and should be translatable to human optical neuroimaging systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. White
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Pediatric Cardiology - 8NW, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jonah A. Padawer-Curry
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 3501 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Akiva S. Cohen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 3615 Civic Center Blvd., Abramson Research Center, Room 816-H, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel J. Licht
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 3501 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Arjun G. Yodh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania. 3231 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Singh S, Bermudez-Contreras E, Nazari M, Sutherland RJ, Mohajerani MH. Low-cost solution for rodent home-cage behaviour monitoring. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0220751. [PMID: 31374097 PMCID: PMC6677321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current research on measuring complex behaviours/phenotyping in rodents, most of the experimental design requires the experimenter to remove the animal from its home-cage environment and place it in an unfamiliar apparatus (novel environment). This interaction may influence behaviour, general well-being, and the metabolism of the animal, affecting the phenotypic outcome even if the data collection method is automated. Most of the commercially available solutions for home-cage monitoring are expensive and usually lack the flexibility to be incorporated with existing home-cages. Here we present a low-cost solution for monitoring home-cage behaviour of rodents that can be easily incorporated to practically any available rodent home-cage. To demonstrate the use of our system, we reliably predict the sleep/wake state of mice in their home-cage using only video. We validate these results using hippocampal local field potential (LFP) and electromyography (EMG) data. Our approach provides a low-cost flexible methodology for high-throughput studies of sleep, circadian rhythm and rodent behaviour with minimal experimenter interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjeet Singh
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Edgar Bermudez-Contreras
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Mojtaba Nazari
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Robert J. Sutherland
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- * E-mail: (RJS); (MHM)
| | - Majid H. Mohajerani
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
- * E-mail: (RJS); (MHM)
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43
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Bollu T, Whitehead SC, Prasad N, Walker J, Shyamkumar N, Subramaniam R, Kardon B, Cohen I, Goldberg JH. Automated home cage training of mice in a hold-still center-out reach task. J Neurophysiol 2018; 121:500-512. [PMID: 30540551 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00667.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An obstacle to understanding neural mechanisms of movement is the complex, distributed nature of the mammalian motor system. Here we present a novel behavioral paradigm for high-throughput dissection of neural circuits underlying mouse forelimb control. Custom touch-sensing joysticks were used to quantify mouse forelimb trajectories with micron-millisecond spatiotemporal resolution. Joysticks were integrated into computer-controlled, rack-mountable home cages, enabling batches of mice to be trained in parallel. Closed loop behavioral analysis enabled online control of reward delivery for automated training. We used this system to show that mice can learn, with no human handling, a direction-specific hold-still center-out reach task in which a mouse first held its right forepaw still before reaching out to learned spatial targets. Stabilogram diffusion analysis of submillimeter-scale micromovements produced during the hold demonstrate that an active control process, akin to upright balance, was implemented to maintain forepaw stability. Trajectory decomposition methods, previously used in primates, were used to segment hundreds of thousands of forelimb trajectories into millions of constituent kinematic primitives. This system enables rapid dissection of neural circuits for controlling motion primitives from which forelimb sequences are built. NEW & NOTEWORTHY A novel joystick design resolves mouse forelimb kinematics with micron-millisecond precision. Home cage training is used to train mice in a hold-still center-out reach task. Analytical methods, previously used in primates, are used to decompose mouse forelimb trajectories into kinematic primitives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejapratap Bollu
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | | | - Nikil Prasad
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | - Jackson Walker
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | - Nitin Shyamkumar
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | - Raghav Subramaniam
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | - Brian Kardon
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | - Itai Cohen
- Department of Physics, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York
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Scott BB, Thiberge SY, Guo C, Tervo DGR, Brody CD, Karpova AY, Tank DW. Imaging Cortical Dynamics in GCaMP Transgenic Rats with a Head-Mounted Widefield Macroscope. Neuron 2018; 100:1045-1058.e5. [PMID: 30482694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Widefield imaging of calcium dynamics is an emerging method for mapping regional neural activity but is currently limited to restrained animals. Here we describe cScope, a head-mounted widefield macroscope developed to image large-scale cortical dynamics in rats during natural behavior. cScope provides a 7.8 × 4 mm field of view and dual illumination paths for both fluorescence and hemodynamic correction and can be fabricated at low cost using readily attainable components. We also report the development of Thy-1 transgenic rat strains with widespread neuronal expression of the calcium indicator GCaMP6f. We combined these two technologies to image large-scale calcium dynamics in the dorsal neocortex during a visual evidence accumulation task. Quantitative analysis of task-related dynamics revealed multiple regions having neural signals that encode behavioral choice and sensory evidence. Our results provide a new transgenic resource for calcium imaging in rats and extend the domain of head-mounted microscopes to larger-scale cortical dynamics. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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45
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Abstract
Animals and humans continuously engage in small, spontaneous motor actions, such as blinking, whisking, and postural adjustments ("fidgeting"). These movements are accompanied by changes in neural activity in sensory and motor regions of the brain. The frequency of these motions varies in time, is affected by sensory stimuli, arousal levels, and pathology. These fidgeting behaviors can be entrained by sensory stimuli. Fidgeting behaviors will cause distributed, bilateral functional activation in the 0.01 to 0.1 Hz frequency range that will show up in functional magnetic resonance imaging and wide-field calcium neuroimaging studies, and will contribute to the observed functional connectivity among brain regions. However, despite the large potential of these behaviors to drive brain-wide activity, these fidget-like behaviors are rarely monitored. We argue that studies of spontaneous and evoked brain dynamics in awake animals and humans should closely monitor these fidgeting behaviors. Differences in these fidgeting behaviors due to arousal or pathology will "contaminate" ongoing neural activity, and lead to apparent differences in functional connectivity. Monitoring and accounting for the brain-wide activations by these behaviors is essential during experiments to differentiate fidget-driven activity from internally driven neural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Drew
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Aaron T Winder
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Qingguang Zhang
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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46
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47
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Wahl AS. State-of-the-Art Techniques to Causally Link Neural Plasticity to Functional Recovery in Experimental Stroke Research. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:3846593. [PMID: 29977279 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3846593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Current experimental stroke research faces the same challenge as neuroscience: to transform correlative findings in causative ones. Research of recent years has shown the tremendous potential of the central nervous system to react to noxious stimuli such as a stroke: Increased plastic changes leading to reorganization in form of neuronal rewiring, neurogenesis, and synaptogenesis, accompanied by transcriptional and translational turnover in the affected cells, have been described both clinically and in experimental stroke research. However, only minor attempts have been made to connect distinct plastic remodeling processes as causative features for specific behavioral phenotypes. Here, we review current state-of the art techniques for the examination of cortical reorganization and for the manipulation of neuronal circuits as well as techniques which combine anatomical changes with molecular profiling. We provide the principles of the techniques together with studies in experimental stroke research which have already applied the described methodology. The tools discussed are useful to close the loop from our understanding of stroke pathology to the behavioral outcome and may allow discovering new targets for therapeutic approaches. The here presented methods open up new possibilities to assess the efficiency of rehabilitative strategies by understanding their external influence for intrinsic repair mechanisms on a neurobiological basis.
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48
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Schlegel F, Sych Y, Schroeter A, Stobart J, Weber B, Helmchen F, Rudin M. Fiber-optic implant for simultaneous fluorescence-based calcium recordings and BOLD fMRI in mice. Nat Protoc 2018; 13:840-855. [PMID: 29599439 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2018.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the growing popularity of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI), understanding of its underlying principles is still limited. This protocol describes a technique for simultaneous measurement of neural activity using fluorescent calcium indicators together with the corresponding hemodynamic BOLD fMRI response in the mouse brain. Our early work using small-molecule fluorophores in rats gave encouraging results but was limited to acute measurements using synthetic dyes. Our latest procedure combines fMRI with optical detection of cell-type-specific virally delivered GCaMP6, a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI). GCaMP6 fluorescence, which increases upon calcium binding, is collected by a chronically implanted optical fiber, allowing longitudinal studies in mice. The chronic implant, placed horizontally on the skull, has an angulated tip that reflects light into the brain and is connected via fiber optics to a remote optical setup. The technique allows access to the neocortex and does not require adaptations of commercial MRI hardware. The hybrid approach permits fiber-optic calcium recordings with simultaneous artifact-free BOLD fMRI with full brain coverage and 1-s temporal resolution using standard gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GE-EPI) sequences. The method provides robust, cell-type-specific readouts to link neural activity to BOLD signals, as emonstrated for task-free ('resting-state') conditions and in response to hind-paw stimulation. These results highlight the power of fiber photometry combined with fMRI, which we aim to further advance in this protocol. The approach can be easily adapted to study other molecular processes using suitable fluorescent indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schlegel
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yaroslav Sych
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aileen Schroeter
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jillian Stobart
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Weber
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Rudin
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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49
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Luan L, Sullender CT, Li X, Zhao Z, Zhu H, Wei X, Xie C, Dunn AK. Nanoelectronics enabled chronic multimodal neural platform in a mouse ischemic model. J Neurosci Methods 2018; 295:68-76. [PMID: 29203409 PMCID: PMC5801157 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite significant advancements of optical imaging techniques for mapping hemodynamics in small animal models, it remains challenging to combine imaging with spatially resolved electrical recording of individual neurons especially for longitudinal studies. This is largely due to the strong invasiveness to the living brain from the penetrating electrodes and their limited compatibility with longitudinal imaging. NEW METHOD We implant arrays of ultraflexible nanoelectronic threads (NETs) in mice for neural recording both at the brain surface and intracortically, which maintain great tissue compatibility chronically. By mounting a cranial window atop of the NET arrays that allows for chronic optical access, we establish a multimodal platform that combines spatially resolved electrical recording of neural activity and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) of cerebral blood flow (CBF) for longitudinal studies. RESULTS We induce peri-infarct depolarizations (PIDs) by targeted photothrombosis, and show the ability to detect its occurrence and propagation through spatiotemporal variations in both extracellular potentials and CBF. We also demonstrate chronic tracking of single-unit neural activity and CBF over days after photothrombosis, from which we observe reperfusion and increased firing rates. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) This multimodal platform enables simultaneous mapping of neural activity and hemodynamic parameters at the microscale for quantitative, longitudinal comparisons with minimal perturbation to the baseline neurophysiology. CONCLUSION The ability to spatiotemporally resolve and chronically track CBF and neural electrical activity in the same living brain region has broad applications for studying the interplay between neural and hemodynamic responses in health and in cerebrovascular and neurological pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Luan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States; Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, United States.
| | - Colin T Sullender
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Zhengtuo Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Hanlin Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Xiaoling Wei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States
| | - Chong Xie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States.
| | - Andrew K Dunn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, United States.
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50
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Bjånes DA, Moritz CT. Automated Center-out Rodent Behavioral Trainer (ACRoBaT), an automated device for training rats to perform a modified center out task. Behav Brain Res 2018; 346:115-21. [PMID: 29196193 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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