Abstract
To investigate synaptic events underlying sensory perception, we made whole-cell membrane potential recordings of barrel cortex neurons in awake mice while recording whisker-related behavior. During quiet periods, we recorded slow, large-amplitude membrane potential changes, which switched during whisking to small, fast fluctuations that were correlated with whisker position. Robust subthreshold responses were evoked by passive whisker stimulation during quiet behavior and by active whisker contact with an object.
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Acknowledgements
We thank R. Rödel (Max Planck Institute, Heidelberg, Germany) and C. Nicolas (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland) for electronic design and construction of the magnetic whisker stimulators; E. Ahissar and M. Diamond for help and advice with whisker filming; and I. Ferezou, J.F.A. Poulet and A. Borgdorff for discussion and critical reading of the manuscript. The authors are grateful to the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Leenaards Foundation for their support.
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Supplementary information
Supplementary Fig. 1
EEG recordings from head-fixed mice (PDF 942 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 2
Membrane potential dynamics during behavior (PDF 1093 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 3
Measuring neuronal input resistance (PDF 644 kb)
Supplementary Table 1
Comparison of quiet (Q) and whisking (W) behaviour (PDF 80 kb)
Supplementary Table 2
Neurons selected for analysis (PDF 73 kb)
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Crochet, S., Petersen, C. Correlating whisker behavior with membrane potential in barrel cortex of awake mice. Nat Neurosci 9, 608–610 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1690
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1690
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