Data from: An automated platform for high-throughput mouse behavior and physiology with voluntary head-fixation

Recording neural activity during animal behavior is a cornerstone of modern brain research. However, integration of cutting-edge technologies for neural-circuit analysis with complex behavioral measurements poses a severe experimental bottleneck for researchers. Critical problems include a lack of standardization for psychometric and neurometric integration, and lack of tools that can generate large, sharable datasets for the research community in a time and cost effective way. Here, we introduce a novel mouse behavioral-learning platform featuring voluntary head fixation and automated high throughput data collection for integrating complex behavioral assays with virtually any physiological device. We provide experimental validation by demonstrating behavioral training of mice in visual discrimination and auditory detection tasks. To examine facile integration with physiology systems, we coupled the platform to a two-photon microscope for imaging of cortical networks at single-cell resolution. Our behavioral learning and recording platform is a prototype for the next generation of mouse cognitive studies.在动物行为进程中记录神经活动，乃是现代脑科学研究的核心基石。然而，将神经环路分析前沿技术与复杂行为测量手段相整合，却为研究者带来了严峻的实验瓶颈。其中核心难题包括：心理测量学与神经测量学的整合缺乏统一标准，且缺少能够以省时高效、成本可控的方式为科研共同体生成大规模可共享数据集的工具。为此，我们研发了一款新型小鼠行为学习平台，该平台支持自主头部固定与自动化高通量数据采集，可实现复杂行为检测范式与几乎任意生理设备的无缝整合。我们通过小鼠视觉辨别与听觉探测任务的行为训练实验，对该平台进行了有效性验证。为验证该平台与生理系统的便捷整合能力，我们将其与双光子显微镜（two-photon microscope）相连，实现了单细胞分辨率下的皮层网络成像。本行为学习与记录平台，可作为下一代小鼠认知研究的原型系统。