TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic, Reusable, Multiday Neuropixels Recordings during Free-Moving Operant Behavior
AU - Song, Zhimin
AU - Alpers, Abigail
AU - Warner, Kasey
AU - Iacobucci, Francesca
AU - Hoskins, Eric
AU - Disterhoft, John F.
AU - Voss, Joel L.
AU - Widge, Alik S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Song et al.
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Electrophysiological recording is a powerful technique to examine neuronal substrates underlying cognition and behavior. Neuropixels probes provide a unique capacity to capture neuronal activity across many brain areas with high spatiotemporal resolution. Neuropixels are also expensive and optimized for acute, head-fixed use, both of which limit the types of behaviors and manipulations that can be studied. Recent advances have addressed the cost issue by showing chronic implant, ex-plant, and reuse of Neuropixels probes, but the methods were not optimized for use in free-moving behavior. There were specific needs for improvement in cabling/connection stability. Here, we extend that work to demonstrate chronic Neuropixels recording, explant, and reuse in a rat model during fully free-moving operant behavior. Similar to prior approaches, we house the probe and headstage within a 3D-printed housing that avoids direct fixation of the probe to the skull, enabling eventual explant. We demonstrate innovations to allow chronic headstage connection with protection against environmental factors and a more stable cabling setup to reduce the tension that can interrupt recording. We demonstrate this approach with rats performing two different behavioral tasks, in each case showing: (1) chronic single-or dual-probe recordings in free-moving rats in operant chambers and (2) reusability of Neuropixels 1.0 probes with continued good single-unit yield after retrieval and reimplant. We thus demonstrate the potential for Neuropixels recordings in a wider range of species and preparations.
AB - Electrophysiological recording is a powerful technique to examine neuronal substrates underlying cognition and behavior. Neuropixels probes provide a unique capacity to capture neuronal activity across many brain areas with high spatiotemporal resolution. Neuropixels are also expensive and optimized for acute, head-fixed use, both of which limit the types of behaviors and manipulations that can be studied. Recent advances have addressed the cost issue by showing chronic implant, ex-plant, and reuse of Neuropixels probes, but the methods were not optimized for use in free-moving behavior. There were specific needs for improvement in cabling/connection stability. Here, we extend that work to demonstrate chronic Neuropixels recording, explant, and reuse in a rat model during fully free-moving operant behavior. Similar to prior approaches, we house the probe and headstage within a 3D-printed housing that avoids direct fixation of the probe to the skull, enabling eventual explant. We demonstrate innovations to allow chronic headstage connection with protection against environmental factors and a more stable cabling setup to reduce the tension that can interrupt recording. We demonstrate this approach with rats performing two different behavioral tasks, in each case showing: (1) chronic single-or dual-probe recordings in free-moving rats in operant chambers and (2) reusability of Neuropixels 1.0 probes with continued good single-unit yield after retrieval and reimplant. We thus demonstrate the potential for Neuropixels recordings in a wider range of species and preparations.
KW - cognitive flexibility
KW - deep brain stimulation
KW - paired associate learning
KW - set shift
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U2 - 10.1523/ENEURO.0245-23.2023
DO - 10.1523/ENEURO.0245-23.2023
M3 - Article
C2 - 38253540
AN - SCOPUS:85182814946
SN - 2373-2822
VL - 11
JO - eNeuro
JF - eNeuro
IS - 1
M1 - ENEURO.0245-23.2023
ER -