High-Yield Methods for Accurate Two-Alternative Visual Psychophysics in Head-Fixed Mice

• DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.08.047
• Publication Date: 2017-09-05T16:16:14Z
• Authors: Christopher P. Bu...; Armin Lak; Nicholas A. Stein...; Peter Zatka-Haas; Charu Bai Reddy; Elina A.K. Jacobs; Jennifer F. Linden; Joseph J. Paton; Adam Ranson; Sylvia Schröder; Sofia Soares; Miles J. Wells; Lauren E. Wool; Kenneth D. Harris; Matteo Carandini
• Keywords: Resource; Male; 0301 basic medicine; 0303 health sciences; QH301-705.5; Dopaminergic Neurons; R1; Choice Behavior; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Psychophysics; Animals; Female; Biology (General); Photic Stimulation; Visual Cortex

Research in neuroscience increasingly relies 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, facilitating repeatable stimulation, eye tracking, access. They turn steering wheel to make two alternative choices, forced or unforced. Learning is rapid thanks intuitive coupling of stimuli position. The decisions deliver high-quality psychometric curves detection discrimination conform predictions simple probabilistic observer model. task readily paired with two-photon imaging cortical activity. Optogenetic inactivation reveals requires mice use their cortex. motivated perform by fluid reward optogenetic stimulation dopamine neurons. This elicits larger number trials faster learning. These provide platform accurately probe vision its neural basis.