Choice ball: a response interface for two-choice psychometric discrimination in head-fixed mice

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Systems Neuroscience

Background:

• Mice are crucial models for studying neural circuits and behavior.
• Advances in imaging and optogenetics require well-controlled behavioral paradigms for head-fixed mice.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the choice ball, a novel response device for head-fixed mice.
• Enable two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) tasks using lateral paw movements.
• Facilitate circuit-level analysis of sensory processing, decision making, and motor control.

Main Methods:

• Developed the choice ball, a response device for head-fixed mice.
• Trained mice on the random-click task, a two-choice auditory discrimination behavior.
• Recorded individual paw strokes to analyze decision-making processes.

Main Results:

• Mice successfully performed 2AFC tasks with the choice ball, achieving high accuracy on easy stimuli.
• Performance accuracy varied from near chance to 95% based on stimulus difficulty.
• Mice frequently reversed initiated decisions, correlating with improved task performance.

Conclusions:

• The choice ball is an effective tool for head-fixed 2AFC behavioral paradigms in mice.
• This device supports detailed investigation of neural mechanisms underlying behavior.
• Enables advanced research into sensory processing, decision making, and motor control in mice.