Long-term Devocalization of Zebra Finches
Authors: Yunbok Kim,
Daisuke Mizuguchi and
Satoshi Kojima,
date: 09/20/2020,
view: 361,
Q&A: 0
[Abstract] Songbirds, such as the zebra finch, are a popular animal model for studying the neural basis of vocal and complex skill learning. Adult male zebra finches produce courtship song toward females (referred to as ‘directed song’) and recording and analyzing sounds of directed song along with underlying neural activity is important for investigating ...
Precise Targeting of Single Microelectrodes to Orientation Pinwheel Centers
[Abstract] In the mammalian visual system, early stages of visual form perception begin with orientation selective neurons in primary visual cortex (V1). In many species (including humans, monkeys, tree shrews, cats, and ferrets), these neurons are organized in pinwheel-like orientation columns. To study the functional organization within orientation ...
A Simple and Fast Battery Test for Phenotypic Characterization of Mice
Authors: Mariana S. A. Garcia-Gomes,
Dennis A. Zanatto,
Pedro K. Yamamoto,
Danilo Wadt,
Ana T. F. B. Antiorio,
Jilma Aleman-Laporte,
Sandra R. Alexandre-Ribeiro,
Guilherme A. Marson,
Cezar Guizzo,
Silvia M. G. Massironi,
Maria M. Bernardi and
Claudia M. C. Mori,
date: 04/05/2020,
view: 1064,
Q&A: 0
[Abstract] Despite the great number of test batteries already known to assess the behavior of genetically modified and inbred strains of mice, only a few of them focus on basic neurological parameters. The purpose of the battery test proposed is to settle a specific methodology to characterize the phenotype of neurological disease models in mutant or ...
Semi-automated Model to Accurately Counting Sympathetic Nervous Fibers
[Abstract] In recent years, the role of sympathetic nervous fibers in chronic inflammation has become increasingly evident. At the onset of inflammation, sympathetic activity is increased in the affected tissue. However, sympathetic fibers are largely absent from chronically inflamed tissues. Apparently, there is a very dynamic relationship between ...
Optogenetic Food Odor Avoidance Assay
[Abstract] Appetite is tightly linked to the sensory experience of feeding, including the smell, taste, and sight of food. Sensory perception can affect the palatability of food, modulating appetite beyond homeostatic requirements. Hypothalamic neurons that govern feeding are responsive to sensory cues associated with food, including food odors. However, the ...
Cylinder Test to Assess Sensory-motor Function in a Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease
[Abstract] Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder that happens due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The deficiency of dopamine in the basal nuclei drives cardinal motor symptoms such as bradykinesia and hypokinesia. The current protocol describes the cylinder test, which is a relatively simple ...
Whisker Nuisance Test: A Valuable Tool to Assess Tactile Hypersensitivity in Mice
[Abstract] Abnormal response to tactile stimulation, described as both hyper- and hypo-reactivity, is a common sensory impairment in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. The neural bases of tactile sensitivity remain so far unknown. In the last years, animal studies have proven to be useful for shedding light on the cellular and molecular mechanism ...