Head-fixed Treadmill
Head-fixed Treadmill - Related Videos
10:14
Whisker-signaled Eyeblink Classical Conditioning in Head-fixed Mice
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Cited by 9 •
2016
The preparation presented here for whisker-signaled eyeblink conditioning in head-fixed mice precisely stimulates specific whiskers while allowing mice to ambulate on a cylindrical treadmill. A whisker stimulation conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with a periorbital shock unconditioned stimulus (US) results in reliable associative learning on this apparatus.
07:01
Head Implants for the Neuroimaging of Awake, Head-Fixed Rats
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2022
A detailed new procedure for functional imaging of awake, head-fixed rats is described.
08:04
Using a Split-belt Treadmill to Evaluate Generalization of Human Locomotor Adaptation
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Cited by 14 •
2017
We describe a protocol for investigating human locomotor adaptation using the split-belt treadmill, which has two belts that can drive each leg at a different speed. We specifically focus on a paradigm designed to test the generalization of adapted locomotor patterns to different walking contexts (e.g., gait speeds, walking environments).
06:27
Behavioral Training Procedures for Head-fixed Virtual Reality in Mice
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Cited by 18 •
2024
The article describes the experimental procedures for the commonly used linear track virtual reality (VR) paradigm in mice as well as determining the feasibility of running complex VR tasks by testing a Y-shaped signal discrimination task.
09:25
The Treadmill Fatigue Test: A Simple, High-throughput Assay of Fatigue-like Behavior for the Mouse
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Cited by 93 •
2016
Fatigue is a common, undertreated and frequently poorly-understood symptom in many diseases and disorders. New preclinical assays of fatigue may help to improve current understanding and future treatment of fatigue. To that end, the current protocol provides a novel means of measuring fatigue-like behavior in the mouse.
FAQs
Stabilizing the head reduces movement of the brain and recording field while the animal walks or runs. This limits motion artifacts that can interfere with two-photon microscopy and electrophysiological recording, allowing neural activity to be examined alongside controlled locomotion. The arrangement is especially useful when researchers need consistent access to the same brain region during behavior.
Locomotion can be quantified through belt motion, limb movements, or body position. These measurements provide behavioral information that can be aligned with recorded brain activity, making it possible to examine how neural signals change with movement. Using more than one movement measure can also help relate overall locomotion to specific aspects of the animal's behavior.
The apparatus permits sensory stimulation while the animal performs controlled walking or running. Researchers can therefore compare neural responses across behavioral states, rather than observing stimulation in isolation. This supports investigation of how locomotion influences perception and how sensory information is processed by brain circuits during active behavior.
A typical arrangement combines a headplate, a support that stabilizes the animal's head, with either a moving belt or a spherical treadmill. Locomotion is then tracked through belt movement, limb movements, or body position. Together, these components provide mechanical stabilization and behavioral readouts that can be coordinated with neural measurements.
After the animal is stabilized above the treadmill, researchers can record brain activity while locomotion is measured simultaneously. Two-photon microscopy provides access to neural activity through imaging, whereas electrophysiology records electrical signals. Combining either approach with movement data helps relate activity in motor or other brain circuits to ongoing behavior.
Head-fixed treadmill experiments support studies of motor circuits, navigation, perception, learning, and neural responses associated with locomotion. The controlled behavioral setting makes it possible to compare brain activity with movement and stimulation under consistent conditions. Its value lies in connecting measurable behavior to circuit activity across several areas of neuroscience.