Whisker Pad Stimulation
Whisker Pad Stimulation - Related Videos
03:28
Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Rat Barrel Cortex During Whisker Stimulation
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2025
Source: Blanc, J., et al. Functional Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at 7 T in the Rat Barrel Cortex During Whisker Activation. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)This video demonstrates the method of analyzing metabolic changes in the rat barrel cortex using functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy during whisker stimulation. Baseline metabolite spectra are compared with stimulated spectra to detect lactate increase in the barrel cortex, confirming successful neuronal activation.
07:59
Measurement of Basal and Forskolin-stimulated Lipolysis in Inguinal Adipose Fat Pads
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Cited by 10 •
2017
This protocol describes the method of determining basal and forskolin-stimulated lipolysis in inguinal fat pads obtained from normal chow diet (NCD) or high fat diet (HFD) ± capsaicin fed wild type mice. As an index for lipolysis, glycerol release was measured from inguinal adipose fat pads.
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.
09:25
Transplantation Into the Mouse Ovarian Fat Pad
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Cited by 7 •
2016
We describe an ovarian fad pad transplantation assay suitable for studies of normal and transformed epithelia of the female reproductive tract. The mouse fat pad allows transplantation of large tissue fragments, is easily accessible for surgery and imaging, and provides the most favorable native environment for tissues of Müllerian origin.
11:02
Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and fMRI to Examine the Default Mode Network
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Cited by 17 •
2010
In this article, we examine the methodology and considerations relevant to the combination of TMS and fMRI to examine the effects of brain stimulation on the default network.
FAQs
Signals generated by mechanoreceptors in the whiskers and surrounding pad enter the trigeminal pathway. They are relayed through the brainstem and thalamus before reaching whisker-related barrel cortex. This anatomical sequence lets experiments connect a peripheral tactile event with activity at successive levels of the somatosensory system, helping researchers examine where sensory information is transformed.
Mechanoreceptors convert controlled whisker or pad movement and touch into neural signals. Changing the physical form of stimulation can therefore alter the sensory input delivered to the trigeminal pathway. This relationship allows researchers to investigate how tactile features are represented in neural activity rather than treating whisker stimulation as an undifferentiated input.
Whisker-related barrel cortex provides a brain region for examining how facial tactile signals are organized centrally. Activity there can be compared with responses in earlier parts of the trigeminal pathway to study sensory coding and cortical organization. Experiments can also use this system to investigate how neural representations change, providing a context for studying plasticity.
Researchers can pair controlled whisker or pad stimulation with electrophysiology, calcium imaging, or behavioral testing. Electrophysiology and calcium imaging provide ways to examine neural activity, while behavioral testing connects that activity with an animal’s responses. Combining these approaches helps relate the stimulated tactile input to brain signals and observable behavior.
This approach supports investigations of sensory coding, cortical organization, neural plasticity, and neurovascular responses. Researchers can use a defined tactile input to ask how sensory information is represented, how cortical responses are arranged, or how neural and vascular activity changes. These questions connect peripheral stimulation with multiple levels of neuroscience research.
Rodents rely heavily on their whiskers to explore their environment, making the vibrissae system especially relevant for linking touch with behavior. Stimulating this system gives researchers a way to relate peripheral sensory events to activity in the trigeminal pathway and barrel cortex, while behavioral testing can assess how those signals influence responses.