Chronic multi-electrode neural recording in free-roaming monkeys

J Neurosci Methods. 2008 Jul 30;172(2):201-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2008.04.029. Epub 2008 May 16.

Abstract

Many behaviors of interest to neurophysiologists are difficult to study under laboratory conditions because such behaviors are often inhibited when an animal is restrained and socially isolated. Even under the best conditions, such behaviors may be sparse enough as to require long duration neural recordings or simultaneous recording of multiple neurons to gather a sufficient amount of data for analysis. We have developed a preparation for chronic, multi-electrode recordings in the auditory cortex of marmoset monkeys, small primates, as well as techniques for neurophysiological recordings when the animals are free-roaming while singly caged in the environment of the monkey colony. In this report, we describe our solutions to overcome the problems associated with chronic recordings in free-roaming animals, where three-dimensional movements present particular challenges.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Animals
  • Auditory Cortex / physiology
  • Auditory Perception / physiology
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping / instrumentation
  • Brain Mapping / methods
  • Callithrix / physiology*
  • Electrodes, Implanted / standards
  • Electrophysiology / instrumentation*
  • Electrophysiology / methods*
  • Exploratory Behavior / physiology
  • Motor Activity / physiology
  • Movement / physiology
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Neurophysiology / instrumentation*
  • Neurophysiology / methods*