scholarly journals An elaborate sweep-stick code in rat barrel cortex

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (38) ◽  
pp. eabb7189
Author(s):  
Evan R. Harrell ◽  
Matías A. Goldin ◽  
Brice Bathellier ◽  
Daniel E. Shulz
Keyword(s):  
Angular Velocity ◽  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Deep Layer ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
Computational Framework ◽  
Stick Slip ◽  
Feature Encoding ◽  
Whisker Stimulation ◽  
Angular Displacements

In rat barrel cortex, feature encoding schemes uncovered during broadband whisker stimulation are hard to reconcile with the simple stick-slip code observed during natural tactile behaviors, and this has hindered the development of a generalized computational framework. By designing broadband artificial stimuli to sample the inputs encoded under natural conditions, we resolve this disparity while markedly increasing the percentage of deep layer neurons found to encode whisker movements, as well as the diversity of these encoded features. Deep layer neurons encode two main types of events, sticks and sweeps, corresponding to high angular velocity bumps and large angular displacements with high velocity, respectively. Neurons can exclusively encode sticks or sweeps, or they can encode both, with or without direction selectivity. Beyond unifying coding theories from naturalistic and artificial stimulation studies, these findings delineate a simple and generalizable set of whisker movement features that can support a range of perceptual processes.

Similarity of Direction Tuning Among Responses to Stimulation of Different Whiskers in Neurons of Rat Barrel Cortex

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 2004-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Kida ◽  
Satoshi Shimegi ◽  
Hiromichi Sato
Keyword(s):  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Preferred Direction ◽  
Fast Spiking ◽  
Whisker Stimulation ◽  
Direction Tuning ◽  
Network Mechanism ◽  
Stimulation Of

Cells in the rat barrel cortex exhibit stimulus-specific response properties. To understand the network mechanism of direction selectivity in response to facial whisker deflection, we examined direction selectivity of neuronal responses to single- and multiwhisker stimulations. In the case of regular-spiking units, i.e., putative excitatory cells, direction preferences were quite similar between responses to single-whisker stimulation of the principal and adjacent whiskers. In multiwhisker stimulation at short (≤5 ms) interstimulus intervals (ISIs), response facilitation was evoked only when the whiskers were deflected to the preferred direction of the response to the single whisker stimulation. These results suggest that there are neuronal networks among cells with different whisker preferences but with a common direction preference that could be the neuronal basis of the direction-selective facilitation of the response to multiwhisker stimulation. In contrast, multiwhisker stimulation at long (≥6 ms) ISIs caused non–direction-selective suppression of the response to the second stimulus. In the case of fast-spiking units, i.e., putative inhibitory cells, poor direction selectivity was exhibited. Thus stimulus direction is represented as the direction-selective responses to the single- and multiwhisker stimulations of putative excitatory cells rather than those of putative inhibitory cells.

Olfactory modulation of barrel cortex activity during active whisking and passive whisker stimulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Renard ◽  
Evan Harrell ◽  
Brice Bathallier
Keyword(s):  
Facial Nerve ◽  
Calcium Imaging ◽  
Tactile Stimulation ◽  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Tactile Information ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Whisker Stimulation ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Rodents depend on olfaction and touch to meet many of their fundamental needs. The joint significance of these sensory systems is underscored by an intricate coupling between sniffing and whisking. However, the impact of simultaneous olfactory and tactile inputs on sensory representations in the cortex remains elusive. To study these interactions, we recorded large populations of barrel cortex neurons using 2-photon calcium imaging in head-fixed mice during olfactory and tactile stimulation. We find that odors alter barrel cortex activity in at least two ways, first by enhancing whisking, and second by central cross-talk that persists after whisking is abolished by facial nerve sectioning. Odors can either enhance or suppress barrel cortex neuronal responses, and while odor identity can be decoded from population activity, it does not interfere with the tactile representation. Thus, barrel cortex represents olfactory information which, in the absence of learned associations, is coded independently of tactile information.

Experimental Exploration of Schallamach Waves and Self-Excitation in a Belt-Drive System

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingdan Wu ◽  
Michael Varenberg ◽  
Michael J. Leamy
Keyword(s):  
Angular Velocity ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Oscillation Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Drive System ◽  
Belt Drive ◽  
Stick Slip ◽  
Stick Slip Motion ◽  
System Inertia ◽  
Slip Motion

We study the dynamic behavior of a belt-drive system to explore the effect of operating conditions and system moment of inertia on the generation of waves of detachment (i.e., Schallamach waves) at the belt-pulley interface. A self-excitation phenomenon is reported in which frictional fluctuations serve as harmonic forcing of the pulley, leading to angular velocity oscillations which grow in time. This behavior depends strongly on operating conditions (torque transmitted and pulley speed) and system inertia, and differs between the driver and driven pulleys. A larger net torque applied to the pulley generally yields more remarkable stick-slip oscillations with higher amplitude and lower frequency. Higher driving speeds accelerate the occurrence of stick-slip motion, but have little influence on the oscillation amplitude. Contrary to our expectations, the introduction of flywheels to increase system inertia amplified the frictional disturbances, and hence the pulley oscillations. This does, however, suggest a way of facilitating their study, which may be useful in follow-on research.

scholarly journals Infragranular barrel cortex activity is enhanced with learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 1278-1287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah L. Ward ◽  
Luke C. Flores ◽  
John F. Disterhoft
Keyword(s):  
Single Unit ◽  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Eyeblink Conditioning ◽  
Sensory Cortex ◽  
Learning Criterion ◽  
Extracellular Recordings ◽  
Primary Sensory Cortex ◽  
Whisker Stimulation ◽  
Trace Eyeblink Conditioning

The barrel cortex (BC) is essential for the acquisition of whisker-signaled trace eyeblink conditioning and shows learning-related expansion of the trained barrels after the acquisition of a whisker-signaled task. Most previous research examining the role of the BC in learning has focused on anatomic changes in the layer IV representation of the cortical barrels. We studied single-unit extracellular recordings from individual neurons in layers V and VI of the BC as rabbits acquired the whisker-signaled trace eyeblink conditioning task. Neurons in layers V and VI in both conditioned and pseudoconditioned animals robustly responded to whisker stimulation, but neurons in conditioned animals showed a significant enhancement in responsiveness in concert with learning. Learning-related changes in firing rate occurred as early as the day of learning criterion within the infragranular layers of the primary sensory cortex.

scholarly journals An automated method for detection of layer activation order in information processing pathway of rat barrel cortex under mechanical whisker stimulation

2011 ◽  
Vol 196 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mufti Mahmud ◽  
Elisabetta Pasqualotto ◽  
Alessandra Bertoldo ◽  
Stefano Girardi ◽  
Marta Maschietto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Automated Method ◽  
Whisker Stimulation ◽  
Layer Activation

scholarly journals Dynamic Model and Quantitative Analysis of Stick-Slip Vibration in Horizontal Well

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Baojin Wang ◽  
Zhongyang Wang ◽  
Fushen Ren
Keyword(s):  
Angular Velocity ◽  
Horizontal Well ◽  
Angular Speed ◽  
Stick Slip ◽  
Rock Interaction ◽  
Axial Excitation ◽  
Nonlinear Motion ◽  
Fluctuation Amplitude ◽  
Torsional Excitation ◽  
Observation Results

Stick-slip is very harmful to the service life of drillstring. The extended Hamilton principle is applied in the paper. Then, finite element method (FEM) is employed to describe the model. The drillstring-borehole impact and friction, fluid-structure interaction, bit-rock interaction, and gravity are considered in this model. The influence of axial and torsional excitation on stick-slip is analyzed. The nonlinear motion predicted by the model is consistent with the observation results in the experiments. The research shows that the fluctuation amplitude of the bit angular velocity also increases along with the increase of driving angular velocity (torsional excitation). However, both the ratio of the maximum angular velocity of the stick-slip vibration and the fluctuation of the angular velocity are continuously reduced. Meanwhile, the strength of the stick-slip vibration has a tendency to slow down. As the axial load (axial excitation) increases, the fluctuation of the maximum angular speed of the stick-slip vibration does not change significantly, but the smaller load causes a smaller stick duration.

scholarly journals Voltage-sensitive dye imaging reveals shifting spatiotemporal spread of whisker-induced activity in rat barrel cortex

2013 ◽  
Vol 109 (9) ◽  
pp. 2382-2392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian R. Lustig ◽  
Robert M. Friedman ◽  
Jeremy E. Winberry ◽  
Ford F. Ebner ◽  
Anna W. Roe
Keyword(s):  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Spatiotemporal Pattern ◽  
Voltage Sensitive Dye ◽  
Barrel Field ◽  
Spatial Shift ◽  
Response Peak ◽  
Whisker Stimulation ◽  
Spike Firing

In rats, navigating through an environment requires continuous information about objects near the head. Sensory information such as object location and surface texture are encoded by spike firing patterns of single neurons within rat barrel cortex. Although there are many studies using single-unit electrophysiology, much less is known regarding the spatiotemporal pattern of activity of populations of neurons in barrel cortex in response to whisker stimulation. To examine cortical response at the population level, we used voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging to examine ensemble spatiotemporal dynamics of barrel cortex in response to stimulation of single or two adjacent whiskers in urethane-anesthetized rats. Single whisker stimulation produced a poststimulus fluorescence response peak within 12–16 ms in the barrel corresponding to the stimulated whisker (principal whisker). This fluorescence subsequently propagated throughout the barrel field, spreading anisotropically preferentially along a barrel row. After paired whisker stimulation, the VSD signal showed sublinear summation (less than the sum of 2 single whisker stimulations), consistent with previous electrophysiological and imaging studies. Surprisingly, we observed a spatial shift in the center of activation occurring over a 10- to 20-ms period with shift magnitudes of 1–2 barrels. This shift occurred predominantly in the posteromedial direction within the barrel field. Our data thus reveal previously unreported spatiotemporal patterns of barrel cortex activation. We suggest that this nontopographical shift is consistent with known functional and anatomic asymmetries in barrel cortex and that it may provide an important insight for understanding barrel field activation during whisking behavior.

Atorvastatin and whisker stimulation synergistically enhance angiogenesis in the barrel cortex of rats following focal ischemia

2012 ◽  
Vol 525 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunyun Zhang ◽  
Susu Huang ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
Bo Sun ◽  
Wenlei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Barrel Cortex ◽  
Focal Ischemia ◽  
Whisker Stimulation
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document