Similar visual perception in GCaMP6 transgenic mice despite differences in learning and motivation [article]

Peter A Groblewski, Douglas R Ollerenshaw, Justin Kiggins, Marina E Garrett, Chris Mochizuki, Linzy Casal, Sissy Cross, Kyla Mace, Jackie Swapp, Sahar Manavi, Derric Williams, Stefan Mihalas (+1 others)
2020 bioRxiv   pre-print
To study mechanisms of perception and cognition, neural measurements must be made during behavior. A goal of the Allen Brain Observatory is to map activity in distinct cortical cell classes during visual processing and behavior. Here we characterize learning and performance of five GCaMP6-expressing transgenic lines trained on a visual change detection task. We used automated training procedures to facilitate comparisons across mice. Training times varied, but most transgenic mice learned the
more » ... sk. Motivation levels also varied across mice. To compare mice in similar motivational states we subdivided sessions into over-, under-, and optimally motivated periods. When motivated, the pattern of perceptual decisions were highly correlated across transgenic lines, although overall d-prime was lower in one line labeling somatostatin inhibitory cells. These results provide important context for using these mice to map neural activity underlying perception and behavior.
doi:10.1101/2020.02.18.954990 fatcat:bd4rvj6d5zfftepky2oreect34