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Oliveira Silva JW, Lima RA, Morya E, Brasil FL, Gonçalves LMG. Improved Behavioral Box and Sensing Techniques for Analysis of Tactile Discrimination Tasks in Rodents. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 23:288. [PMID: 36616886 PMCID: PMC9824713 DOI: 10.3390/s23010288] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscience behavioral studies stand out among the research works in this area. In these studies, normally, rodents are put inside closed platforms known as behavioral boxes in order to perform tasks and have their behaviors observed by way of sensors and annotations by hand. In this work, we aim to improve this research process by developing new techniques based upon the full automation of the behavioral box processes for more easily acquiring data. We come up with a new structural design using cutting-edge technology, with enhanced spaces and better materials. We use components that can be easily purchased (or built) and developed new techniques for control and data acquisition. Our new platform allows for more precise control of the opening of the discrimination bars, which was not satisfactorily done with previous platforms. This makes possible the design of more complex decision-making experiments using camera and sensor systems, allowing a better assessment of rodent performance in the discrimination task. All the necessary materials and development documents are made available in a collaborative multi-user platform allowing work replication. With this, the present study provides a low-cost tool with ease of development and construction that can be used by laboratories that work with this type of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Wanderson Oliveira Silva
- Graduate Program in Computer and Electrical Engineering, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Renan Araújo Lima
- Graduate Program in Computer and Electrical Engineering, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Edgard Morya
- Instituto Santos Dumont, Macaíba 59280-000, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Marcos Garcia Gonçalves
- Graduate Program in Computer and Electrical Engineering, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, Brazil
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Cléry JC, Hori Y, Schaeffer DJ, Gati JS, Pruszynski JA, Everling S. Whole brain mapping of somatosensory responses in awake marmosets investigated with ultra-high-field fMRI. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:1900-1913. [PMID: 33112698 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00480.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small-bodied New World primate that is becoming an important model to study brain functions. Despite several studies exploring the somatosensory system of marmosets, all results have come from anesthetized animals using invasive techniques and postmortem analyses. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility for getting high-quality and reproducible somatosensory mapping in awake marmosets with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We acquired fMRI sequences in four animals, while they received tactile stimulation (via air-puffs), delivered to the face, arm, or leg. We found a topographic body representation with the leg representation in the most medial part, the face representation in the most lateral part, and the arm representation between leg and face representation within areas 3a, 3b, and 1/2. A similar sequence from leg to face from caudal to rostral sites was identified in areas S2 and PV. By generating functional connectivity maps of seeds defined in the primary and second somatosensory regions, we identified two clusters of tactile representation within the posterior and midcingulate cortex. However, unlike humans and macaques, no clear somatotopic maps were observed. At the subcortical level, we found a somatotopic body representation in the thalamus and, for the first time in marmosets, in the putamen. These maps have similar organizations, as those previously found in Old World macaque monkeys and humans, suggesting that these subcortical somatotopic organizations were already established before Old and New World primates diverged. Our results show the first whole brain mapping of somatosensory responses acquired in a noninvasive way in awake marmosets.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used somatosensory stimulation combined with functional MRI (fMRI) in awake marmosets to reveal the topographic body representation in areas S1, S2, thalamus, and putamen. We showed the existence of a body representation organization within the thalamus and the cingulate cortex by computing functional connectivity maps from seeds defined in S1/S2, using resting-state fMRI data. This noninvasive approach will be essential for chronic studies by guiding invasive recording and manipulation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine C Cléry
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yuki Hori
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - David J Schaeffer
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph S Gati
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Andrew Pruszynski
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stefan Everling
- Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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