Similar Odor Discrimination Behavior in Head-Restrained and Freely Moving Mice

Article Article scientifique Article Similar Odor Discrimination Behavior in Head-Restrained and Freely Moving Mice eng 2012 author Abraham Nixon 712726 author Guerin Delphine 689554 author Bhaukaurally Khaleel 714229 author Carleton Alan 676577 e51789 10.1371/journal.pone.0051789 23272168 1932-6203 http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051789 A major challenge in neuroscience is relating neuronal activity to animal behavior. In olfaction limited techniques are available for these correlation studies in freely moving animals. To solve this problem, we developed an olfactory behavioral assay in head-restrained mice where we can monitor behavioral responses with high temporal precision. Mice were trained on a go/no-go operant conditioning paradigm to discriminate simple monomolecular odorants, as well as complex odorants such as binary mixtures of monomolecular odorants or natural odorants. Mice learned to discriminate both simple and complex odors in a few hundred trials with high accuracy. We then compared the discrimination performance of headrestrained mice to the performance observed in freely moving mice. Discrimination accuracies were comparable in both behavioral paradigms. In addition, iscrimination times were measured while the animals performed well. In both tasks, mice discriminated simple odors in a few hundred milliseconds and took additional time to discriminate the complex mixtures. In conclusion, mice showed similar and efficient discrimination behavior while head-restrained compared with freely moving mice. Therefore, the head-restrained paradigm offers a relevant approach to monitor neuronal activity while animals are actively engaged in olfactory discrimination behaviors. Behavior Olfaction Dewey 616.8 European Commission From neurons to behavior: analysis of the mechanisms underlying sensory coding and plasticity in chemical senses 243344 NEUROCHEMS EU FP7 Swiss National Science Foundation Maturation of adult-born interneurons and consequences on sensory perception 119169 CH Careers Swiss National Science Foundation mechanisms underlying sensory coding and plasticity in olfaction 139189 CH Careers 53 Département de neurosciences fondamentales 21A false 536 Groupe Carleton Alan (neurosciences fondamentales) 876 PloS one 7 12 e896796b-5e91-483e-9353-2b3bcfc78cd7 Article (Published version) Public abrahamPlosOne2012.pdf 835258 application/pdf CC BY openAccess Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine fondamentale / Département de neurosciences fondamentales

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Similar Odor Discrimination Behavior in Head-Restrained and Freely Moving Mice	PloS one			2012	704	330

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Guerin, Delphine