Conditioned lick behavior and evoked responses using whisker twitches in head restrained rats.

Behavioural Brain Research
Irina A TopchiyDavid M Rector

Abstract

To examine whisker barrel evoked response potentials in chronically implanted rats during behavioral learning with very fast response times, rats must be calm while immobilized with their head restrained. We quantified their behaviors during training with an ethogram and measured each individual animals' progress over the training period. Once calm under restraint, rats were conditioned to differentiate between a reward and control whisker twitch, then provide a lick response when presented with the correct stimulus, rewarded by a drop of water. Rats produced the correct licking response (after reward whisker twitch), and learned not to lick after a control whisker was twitched. By implementing a high-density 64-channel electrocorticogram (ECoG) electrode array, we mapped the barrel field of the somatosensory cortex with high spatial and temporal resolution during conditioned lick behaviors. In agreement with previous reports, we observe a larger evoked response after training, probably related to mechanisms of cortical plasticity.

Citations

Dec 21, 2010·Journal of Neuroscience Methods·Jennifer L WalkerDavid M Rector
Aug 11, 2010·Behavioural Brain Research·Jennifer L WalkerDavid M Rector
May 29, 2009·The European Journal of Neuroscience·David M RectorJames M Krueger
May 9, 2013·The European Journal of Neuroscience·James M KruegerDaniel J Buysse
Apr 24, 2014·The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology : Official Journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology·Mootaek RohMaan-Gee Lee
Sep 10, 2019·Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience·Mehdi Adibi

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