We use cake dummies from Amazon to create the treadmill and we wrap it with stretchy gauze (CVS) so the mice don’t slip. We always keep it squeaky clean (water+ethanol). For our behavioral rig, we coat the dummy with copper wire and pin it with T-pins (both from Amazon). Why? It’s conductive and mice LOVE to grab onto stuff.
For our electrophysiology rig, we use Sensapex manipulators: really quiet and really small. For all of our rigs, motion is detected via an optical mouse and Spike2 (see later).
All of the mechanical parts are from ThorLabs, including the treadmill rod (suspended in two small iris holders).
For data acquisition and analysis, we use CED Spike2. We love how easily it integrates whatever we want to add to the rig: from motion detection to reward triggers.
The treadmill motion is detected via MouseTalk (available from CED), and Psychtoolbox talks to Spike2 via a NI PCI 6503 card (see this link for details).
Spike2 can trigger KD Legato130 pump through a footswitch in the back of the pump (easily rewired from a BNC cable), and the pump itself allows programming of different delays based on your experiment. We also Use New Era NE-1000 syringe pump-BNC inputs go into the 2 (hot) and 9 (ground) in the DB-9 connector in the back.
Lick detection uses this paper and feeds into an ADC input on Power 1401.
Did we mention how much we love Spike2? We also love it because their support is unparalleled. We never got a no from them and we’d like to think they have fun devising new ways to use their products.
We use Spike2 for unit detection and sorting as well. You can find most of our unit analysis scripts on their website.
Our 2-photon imaging rig uses Vidrio’s RMR scanner and ScanImage for acquisition.
For visual stimulation and everything else, we use tried and true Spike2 and a Micro 1401 board (with all the scripts from the electrophysiology rig). Alignment to imaging data is post-hoc.
Our system is designed by Dale Elgar: look him up at his company’s website! We use this blocker for stray light from the stimulation monitor.
We will upload all our analysis codes pretty soon, so watch this space!
