1
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Hatsopoulos N, Moore D, MacLean J, Walker J. A dynamic subset of network interactions underlies tuning to natural movements in marmoset sensorimotor cortex. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3750312. [PMID: 38234779 PMCID: PMC10793486 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3750312/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Mechanisms of computation in sensorimotor cortex must be flexible and robust to support skilled motor behavior. Patterns of neuronal coactivity emerge as a result of computational processes. Pairwise spike-time statistical relationships, across the population, can be summarized as a functional network (FN) which retains single-unit properties. We record populations of single-unit neural activity in forelimb sensorimotor cortex during prey-capture and spontaneous behavior and use an encoding model incorporating kinematic trajectories and network features to predict single-unit activity during forelimb movements. The contribution of network features depends on structured connectivity within strongly connected functional groups. We identify a context-specific functional group that is highly tuned to kinematics and reorganizes its connectivity between spontaneous and prey-capture movements. In the remaining context-invariant group, interactions are comparatively stable across behaviors and units are less tuned to kinematics. This suggests different roles in producing natural forelimb movements and contextualizes single-unit tuning properties within population dynamics.
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2
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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] [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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3
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Calapai A, Pfefferle D, Cassidy LC, Nazari A, Yurt P, Brockhausen RR, Treue S. A Touchscreen-Based, Multiple-Choice Approach to Cognitive Enrichment of Captive Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2702. [PMID: 37684966 PMCID: PMC10486349 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on the psychological and physiological well-being of captive animals has focused on investigating different types of social and structural enrichment. Consequently, cognitive enrichment has been understudied, despite the promising external validity, comparability, and applicability. As we aim to fill this gap, we developed an interactive, multiple-choice interface for cage-mounted touchscreen devices that rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) can freely interact with, from within their home enclosure at the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of the German Primate Center. The multiple-choice interface offers interchangeable activities that animals can choose and switch between. We found that all 16 captive rhesus macaques tested consistently engaged with the multiple-choice interface across 6 weekly sessions, with 11 of them exhibiting clear task preferences, and displaying proficiency in performing the selected tasks. Our approach does not require social separation or dietary restriction and is intended to increase animals' sense of competence and agency by providing them with more control over their environment. Thanks to the high level of automation, our multiple-choice interface can be easily incorporated as a standard cognitive enrichment practice across different facilities and institutes working with captive animals, particularly non-human primates. We believe that the multiple-choice interface is a sustainable, scalable, and pragmatic protocol for enhancing cognitive well-being and animal welfare in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Calapai
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Lauren C Cassidy
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Population and Behavioral Health Services, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Anahita Nazari
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Pinar Yurt
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ralf R Brockhausen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Faculty for Biology and Psychology, Goettingen University, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
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4
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Cabrera-Moreno J, Jeanson L, Jeschke M, Calapai A. Group-based, autonomous, individualized training and testing of long-tailed macaques ( Macaca fascicularis) in their home enclosure to a visuo-acoustic discrimination task. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1047242. [PMID: 36524199 PMCID: PMC9745322 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1047242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the utility and efficiency of automated procedures for cognitive assessment in psychology and neuroscience have been demonstrated in non-human primates (NHP). This approach mimics conventional shaping principles of breaking down a final desired behavior into smaller components that can be trained in a staircase manner. When combined with home-cage-based approaches, this could lead to a reduction in human workload, enhancement in data quality, and improvement in animal welfare. However, to our knowledge, there are no reported attempts to develop automated training and testing protocols for long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), a ubiquitous NHP model in neuroscience and pharmaceutical research. In the current work, we present the results from 6 long-tailed macaques that were trained using an automated unsupervised training (AUT) protocol for introducing the animals to the basics of a two-alternative choice (2 AC) task where they had to discriminate a conspecific vocalization from a pure tone relying on images presented on a touchscreen to report their response. We found that animals (1) consistently engaged with the device across several months; (2) interacted in bouts of high engagement; (3) alternated peacefully to interact with the device; and (4) smoothly ascended from step to step in the visually guided section of the procedure, in line with previous results from other NHPs. However, we also found (5) that animals' performance remained at chance level as soon as the acoustically guided steps were reached; and (6) that the engagement level decreased significantly with decreasing performance during the transition from visual to acoustic-guided sections. We conclude that with an autonomous approach, it is possible to train long-tailed macaques in their social group using computer vision techniques and without dietary restriction to solve a visually guided discrimination task but not an acoustically guided task. We provide suggestions on what future attempts could take into consideration to instruct acoustically guided discrimination tasks successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Cabrera-Moreno
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate CenterLeibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lena Jeanson
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Jeschke
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate CenterLeibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Antonino Calapai
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate CenterLeibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Monsees A, Voit KM, Wallace DJ, Sawinski J, Charyasz E, Scheffler K, Macke JH, Kerr JND. Estimation of skeletal kinematics in freely moving rodents. Nat Methods 2022; 19:1500-1509. [PMID: 36253644 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-022-01634-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Forming a complete picture of the relationship between neural activity and skeletal kinematics requires quantification of skeletal joint biomechanics during free behavior; however, without detailed knowledge of the underlying skeletal motion, inferring limb kinematics using surface-tracking approaches is difficult, especially for animals where the relationship between the surface and underlying skeleton changes during motion. Here we developed a videography-based method enabling detailed three-dimensional kinematic quantification of an anatomically defined skeleton in untethered freely behaving rats and mice. This skeleton-based model was constrained using anatomical principles and joint motion limits and provided skeletal pose estimates for a range of body sizes, even when limbs were occluded. Model-inferred limb positions and joint kinematics during gait and gap-crossing behaviors were verified by direct measurement of either limb placement or limb kinematics using inertial measurement units. Together we show that complex decision-making behaviors can be accurately reconstructed at the level of skeletal kinematics using our anatomically constrained model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Monsees
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Kay-Michael Voit
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Damian J Wallace
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Juergen Sawinski
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn, Germany
| | - Edyta Charyasz
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- High-Field MR Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany.,Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jakob H Macke
- Machine Learning in Science, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Empirical Inference, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jason N D Kerr
- Department of Behavior and Brain Organization, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn, Germany.
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6
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Moore DD, Walker JD, MacLean JN, Hatsopoulos NG. Validating markerless pose estimation with 3D X-ray radiography. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:jeb243998. [PMID: 35466360 PMCID: PMC9163444 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To reveal the neurophysiological underpinnings of natural movement, neural recordings must be paired with accurate tracking of limbs and postures. Here, we evaluated the accuracy of DeepLabCut (DLC), a deep learning markerless motion capture approach, by comparing it with a 3D X-ray video radiography system that tracks markers placed under the skin (XROMM). We recorded behavioral data simultaneously with XROMM and RGB video as marmosets foraged and reconstructed 3D kinematics in a common coordinate system. We used the toolkit Anipose to filter and triangulate DLC trajectories of 11 markers on the forelimb and torso and found a low median error (0.228 cm) between the two modalities corresponding to 2.0% of the range of motion. For studies allowing this relatively small error, DLC and similar markerless pose estimation tools enable the study of increasingly naturalistic behaviors in many fields including non-human primate motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalton D. Moore
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Walker
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jason N. MacLean
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nicholas G. Hatsopoulos
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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7
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Calapai A, Cabrera-Moreno J, Moser T, Jeschke M. Flexible auditory training, psychophysics, and enrichment of common marmosets with an automated, touchscreen-based system. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1648. [PMID: 35347139 PMCID: PMC8960775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29185-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Devising new and more efficient protocols to analyze the phenotypes of non-human primates, as well as their complex nervous systems, is rapidly becoming of paramount importance. This is because with genome-editing techniques, recently adopted to non-human primates, new animal models for fundamental and translational research have been established. One aspect in particular, namely cognitive hearing, has been difficult to assess compared to visual cognition. To address this, we devised autonomous, standardized, and unsupervised training and testing of auditory capabilities of common marmosets with a cage-based standalone, wireless system. All marmosets tested voluntarily operated the device on a daily basis and went from naïve to experienced at their own pace and with ease. Through a series of experiments, here we show, that animals autonomously learn to associate sounds with images; to flexibly discriminate sounds, and to detect sounds of varying loudness. The developed platform and training principles combine in-cage training of common marmosets for cognitive and psychoacoustic assessment with an enriched environment that does not rely on dietary restriction or social separation, in compliance with the 3Rs principle. The authors present a cage-based stand-alone platform for autonomous, standardized, and unsupervised training and testing of visuo-auditory-cued behaviours of common marmosets. The experiments do not require dietary restriction or social separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Calapai
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany
| | - J Cabrera-Moreno
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - T Moser
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - M Jeschke
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany. .,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany. .,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany. .,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
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8
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A miniature kinematic coupling device for mouse head fixation. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 372:109549. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [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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9
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Womelsdorf T, Thomas C, Neumann A, Watson MR, Banaie Boroujeni K, Hassani SA, Parker J, Hoffman KL. A Kiosk Station for the Assessment of Multiple Cognitive Domains and Cognitive Enrichment of Monkeys. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:721069. [PMID: 34512289 PMCID: PMC8426617 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.721069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonhuman primates (NHP's) are self-motivated to perform cognitive tasks on touchscreens in their animal housing setting. To leverage this ability, fully integrated hardware and software solutions are needed that work within housing and husbandry routines while also spanning cognitive task constructs of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Here, we detail such an integrated robust hardware and software solution for running cognitive tasks in cage-housed NHP's with a cage-mounted Kiosk Station (KS-1). KS-1 consists of a frame for mounting flexibly on housing cages, a touchscreen animal interface with mounts for receptables, reward pumps, and cameras, and a compact computer cabinet with an interface for controlling behavior. Behavioral control is achieved with a Unity3D program that is virtual-reality capable, allowing semi-naturalistic visual tasks to assess multiple cognitive domains.KS-1 is fully integrated into the regular housing routines of monkeys. A single person can operate multiple KS-1's. Monkeys engage with KS-1 at high motivation and cognitive performance levels at high intra-individual consistency. KS-1 is optimized for flexible mounting onto standard apartment cage systems and provides a new design variation complementing existing cage-mounted touchscreen systems. KS-1 has a robust animal interface with options for gaze/reach monitoring. It has an integrated user interface for controlling multiple cognitive tasks using a common naturalistic object space designed to enhance task engagement. All custom KS-1 components are open-sourced.In summary, KS-1 is a versatile new tool for cognitive profiling and cognitive enrichment of cage-housed monkeys. It reliably measures multiple cognitive domains which promises to advance our understanding of animal cognition, inter-individual differences, and underlying neurobiology in refined, ethologically meaningful behavioral foraging contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Christopher Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Adam Neumann
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Marcus R. Watson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Seyed A. Hassani
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jeremy Parker
- Division of Animal Care, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kari L. Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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10
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Mylavarapu R, Prins NW, Pohlmeyer EA, Shoup AM, Debnath S, Geng S, Sanchez JC, Schwartz O, Prasad A. Chronic recordings from the marmoset motor cortex reveals modulation of neural firing and local field potentials overlap with macaques. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34225263 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac115c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Objective.The common marmoset has been increasingly used in neural interfacing studies due to its smaller size, easier handling, and faster breeding compared to Old World non-human primate (NHP) species. While assessment of cortical anatomy in marmosets has shown strikingly similar layout to macaques, comprehensive assessment of electrophysiological properties underlying forelimb reaching movements in this bridge species does not exist. The objective of this study is to characterize electrophysiological properties of signals recorded from the marmoset primary motor cortex (M1) during a reach task and compare with larger NHP models such that this smaller NHP model can be used in behavioral neural interfacing studies.Approach and main results.Neuronal firing rates and local field potentials (LFPs) were chronically recorded from M1 in three adult, male marmosets. Firing rates, mu + beta and high gamma frequency bands of LFPs were evaluated for modulation with respect to movement. Firing rate and regularity of neurons of the marmoset M1 were similar to that reported in macaques with a subset of neurons showing selectivity to movement direction. Movement phases (rest vs move) was classified from both neural spiking and LFPs. Microelectrode arrays provide the ability to sample small regions of the motor cortex to drive brain-machine interfaces (BMIs). The results demonstrate that marmosets are a robust bridge species for behavioral neuroscience studies with motor cortical electrophysiological signals recorded from microelectrode arrays that are similar to Old World NHPs.Significance. As marmosets represent an interesting step between rodent and macaque models, successful demonstration that neuron modulation in marmoset motor cortex is analogous to reports in macaques illustrates the utility of marmosets as a viable species for BMI studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanamurthy Mylavarapu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America
| | - Noeline W Prins
- Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of Ruhuna, Galle, Sri Lanka
| | - Eric A Pohlmeyer
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, United States of America
| | - Alden M Shoup
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America
| | - Shubham Debnath
- Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY, United States of America
| | - Shijia Geng
- Institute for Data Science and Computing, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States of America
| | | | - Odelia Schwartz
- Department of Computer Science, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States of America
| | - Abhishek Prasad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL United States of America.,The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami, Miami, FL United States of America
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11
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Walker JD, Pirschel F, Sundiang M, Niekrasz M, MacLean JN, Hatsopoulos NG. Chronic wireless neural population recordings with common marmosets. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109379. [PMID: 34260919 PMCID: PMC8513487 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Marmosets are an increasingly important model system for neuroscience in part due to genetic tractability and enhanced cortical accessibility, due to a lissencephalic neocortex. However, many of the techniques generally employed to record neural activity in primates inhibit the expression of natural behaviors in marmosets precluding neurophysiological insights. To address this challenge, we have developed methods for recording neural population activity in unrestrained marmosets across multiple ethological behaviors, multiple brain states, and over multiple years. Notably, our flexible methodological design allows for replacing electrode arrays and removal of implants providing alternative experimental endpoints. We validate the method by recording sensorimotor cortical population activity in freely moving marmosets across their natural behavioral repertoire and during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Walker
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA.
| | - Friederice Pirschel
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Marina Sundiang
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Marek Niekrasz
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; The University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Jason N MacLean
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; The University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
| | - Nicholas G Hatsopoulos
- Committee on Computational Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA; The University of Chicago Neuroscience Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60615, USA
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12
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Visual Neuroscience Methods for Marmosets: Efficient Receptive Field Mapping and Head-Free Eye Tracking. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0489-20.2021. [PMID: 33863782 PMCID: PMC8143020 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0489-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The marmoset has emerged as a promising primate model system, in particular for visual neuroscience. Many common experimental paradigms rely on head fixation and an extended period of eye fixation during the presentation of salient visual stimuli. Both of these behavioral requirements can be challenging for marmosets. Here, we present two methodological developments, each addressing one of these difficulties. First, we show that it is possible to use a standard eye-tracking system without head fixation to assess visual behavior in the marmoset. Eye-tracking quality from head-free animals is sufficient to obtain precise psychometric functions from a visual acuity task. Second, we introduce a novel method for efficient receptive field (RF) mapping that does not rely on moving stimuli but uses fast flashing annuli and wedges. We present data recorded during head-fixation in areas V1 and V6 and show that RF locations are readily obtained within a short period of recording time. Thus, the methodological advancements presented in this work will contribute to establish the marmoset as a valuable model in neuroscience.
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