RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 High-yield methods for accurate two-alternative visual psychophysics in head-fixed mice
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 051912
DO 10.1101/051912
A1 Christopher P Burgess
A1 Nicholas Steinmetz
A1 Armin Lak
A1 Zatka-Haas Peter
A1 Adam Ranson
A1 Miles Wells
A1 Sylvia Schröeder
A1 Elina A K Jacobs
A1 Charu Bai Reddy
A1 Sofia Soares
A1 Jennnifer F Linden
A1 Joseph J Paton
A1 Kenneth D Harris
A1 Matteo Carandini
YR 2016
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/05/09/051912.abstract
AB Research in neuroscience relies increasingly on the mouse, a mammalian species that affords unparalleled genetic tractability and brain atlases. Here we introduce high-yield methods for probing mouse visual decisions. Mice are head-fixed, which facilitates repeatable visual stimulation, eye tracking, and brain access. They turn a steering wheel to make two-alternative choices, forced or unforced. Learning is rapid thanks to intuitive coupling of stimuli to wheel position. The mouse decisions deliver high-quality psychometric curves for detection and discrimination, and conform to the predictions of a simple probabilistic observer model. The task is readily paired with two-photon imaging of cortical activity. Optogenetic inactivation reveals that the task requires the visual cortex. Mice are motivated to perform the task by fluid reward or optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic neurons. This stimulation elicits larger number of trials and faster learning. These methods provide a platform to accurately probe mouse vision and its neural basis.