Search research articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 18, 2026

In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution

In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution

Published on: November 21, 2023

Stimulus frequency processing in awake rat barrel cortex.

Peter Melzer¹, Robert N S Sachdev, Ned Jenkinson

¹Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37203, USA. peter.melzer@vanderbilt.edu

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|November 24, 2006

Summary

Septum column neurons in rats encode whisker stimulus frequency across all relevant rates. Barrel cortex neurons show reduced responsiveness at higher frequencies, suggesting specialized roles in sensory processing.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Time-dependent facilitation of homologous actions.

Experimental brain research·2026

Same author

Visuo-spatial attention in younger and older adults: comparing performance on a series of computer-based tasks.

Acta psychologica·2026

Same author

Transcranial direct current stimulation for upper and lower limb motor function in young people with Cerebral Palsy: a randomised controlled pilot study.

Disability and rehabilitation·2025

Same author

Orofacial Movements: Individuality and Stereotypy When Mice Move a Single Whisker to Touch.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025

Same author

Automated facial feature evaluation system to prevent stress of head fixed mice.

PloS one·2025

Same author

Sub-concussive head impacts from heading footballs do not acutely alter brain excitability as compared to a control group.

PloS one·2024

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory processing
Somatosensory cortex

Background:

The primary somatosensory cortex processes tactile information, including whisker input in rodents.
Understanding neural coding of stimulus frequency is crucial for deciphering sensory perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between neural spiking activity in the rat somatosensory cortex and whisker stimulation frequency.
To identify neuronal populations encoding stimulus frequency during naturalistic whisking behavior.

Main Methods:

Extracellular recordings of neural activity in awake rats.
Whisker stimulation using controlled air puffs at frequencies from 0.5 to 18 per second (apps).
Analysis of neural responses in barrel and septum columns of the somatosensory cortex.

More Related Videos

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents

Published on: May 23, 2025

Head Implants for the Neuroimaging of Awake, Head-Fixed Rats

Head Implants for the Neuroimaging of Awake, Head-Fixed Rats

Published on: September 7, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 18, 2026

In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution

In Vivo Visualization of Spontaneous Activity in Neonatal Mouse Sensory Cortex at a Single-Neuron Resolution

Published on: November 21, 2023

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents

Multiscale Investigations of Cortical Processing by Integrating Laminar Polytrodes and Optogenetics with Micro Electrocorticography in Rodents

Published on: May 23, 2025

Head Implants for the Neuroimaging of Awake, Head-Fixed Rats

Head Implants for the Neuroimaging of Awake, Head-Fixed Rats

Published on: September 7, 2022

Main Results:

Cortical neurons initially responded with 1-2 spikes per stimulus at <= 9 apps, decreasing to 0.2-0.4 spikes per stimulus at > 9 apps.
Despite adaptation, spike rates increased logarithmically with frequency, but this relationship degraded in barrel columns above 9 apps.
Septum column neurons maintained a linear increase in spike rate with frequency up to 18 apps, albeit with lower response magnitude.

Conclusions:

Septum column neurons are potential candidates for encoding stimulus frequency across the entire range relevant to rat whisking.
Barrel column neurons exhibit frequency-dependent adaptation, suggesting distinct roles in sensory information processing.
Differential responses in barrel and septum columns highlight specialized neural circuits for tactile frequency encoding.