Head-restrained operant conditioning

We already developed a few operant conditioning system for head-fixed animals to couple the installation of contingencies, or movement initiation with external techniques such as electrophysiology, optogenetics, microdialysis or microscopy.

Head-restrained operant conditioning

Apparatus 1

Head-fixed zoom

We developed this apparatus to be totally integrated in a stereotaxic frame for Rats. This system is equipped with:

  • 2 pads that detect the contact with the animal’s paws,
  • 2 levers,
  • a drinking trough,
  • a pump to deliver the liquid into the trough,
  • a sound generator and speakers,
  • cue-lights.

In this system, the researcher uses all the sensors and actuators available to conduct operant conditioning protocols.

All the behavioral events are recorded and dated, so that the experimenter may easily and quickly obtain the latency times, the errors, the sequence of correct/incorrect trials, …

 

 

 

Apparatus 2

This apparatus has been created in order to analyze neural network when an animal is running on an activity wheel in a conditioned manner. This system comprises:

  • an activity wheel with a fine rotation sensor,
  • a cannula to lick drops of liquid,
  • a pump to distribute the liquid to the cannula,
  • a sound generator and speaker.

A transparent habituation box is provided with the system. This allows a naive animal to get used to the running wheel and the operant tasks.

Ce système est livré avec une boîte transparente pour habituer l’animal à courir sur la roue sans être fixé.

roue avec boite
Habituation
Roue
Test

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the behavioral events are recorded and dated, so that the experimenter may easily and quickly obtain the duration of locomotor activity, the latency times, the errors, the kinetics of the distance traveled,…

 

Apparatus 3Système légendé

This apparatus has been developped to be placed under a two-photon microscope. It includes:

  • 2 pads that detect the contact with the animal’s paws,
  • 2 retractable levers,
  • a drinking trough (cannula),
  • a pump to deliver the liquid into the trough,
  • a sound generator (reading of WAV files) and speakers,
  • a remote control,
  • a synchronization kit, to sign behavioral events on external systems,
  • a grid floor and a drawer to collect the animal excrement.

Our apparatus may be entirely synchronized with other external systems, via TTL pulses.