Behavioral Analysis of Mice on a Treadmill Walking Task and Understanding the ECoG Data Relations with Behavior Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Beta oscillations (13-30 Hz) are a hallmark of sensorimotor cortical activity. Several neurological disorders characterized by severe motor symptoms, such as Parkinson’s disease, are known to exhibit altered beta oscillations. Yet, their functional role in motor behaviors remains unclear. In this study, we establish a wheel-running task for head-fixed mice to investigate cortical activity during locomotion and provide a set of metrics to quantitatively describe limb movements. We use electrocorticography (ECoG) techniques to record the electrical activity of neuronal populations, or local field potentials (LFPs), around an electrode in contact with the surface of the brain. In particular, we measure LFPs from the rostral forelimb area (RFA) and from the caudal forelimb area (CFA), two regions of the rodent motor cortex responsible for the planning and execution of movements of the contralateral limb. Focusing on beta oscillations, our analyses did not allow us to establish a clear relationship between their power and the presence or absence of movements, and as such further investigation is needed. Our work is a first step towards a more extensive characterization of neuronal oscillations related to motor behaviors in healthy animals and provides benchmark control data for future studies in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease.

Table of Contents

Abstract 1

Introduction. 2

Methods 4

Animals. 4

Surgery. 4

Headpost surgery. 4

Implantation of electrodes for electrophysiology recording. 5

Behavioral Task. 5

Electrophysiology. 7

Data Analysis. 7

Results. 9

Behavioral Analysis. 9

LFP Analysis 10

Discussion. 11

Tables and Figures. 13

References 24

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