Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
08:28
Automated Multimodal Stimulation and Simultaneous Neuronal Recording from Multiple Small Organisms
Published on: March 3, 2023
Multiple modes of phase locking between sniffing and whisking during active exploration
Sachin Ranade1, Balázs Hangya, Adam Kepecs
1Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA.
Summary
Rodent sniffing and whisking motor rhythms are phase-locked, coordinating the acquisition of smell and touch information. This coordinated sensing suggests interdependent neural control for optimal sensory sampling.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Biology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Active sensing, motor control of sensory organs, shapes sensory information flow.
- Temporal coordination of active sensing is crucial for multisensory integration and efficient information gathering.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the temporal coordination between sniffing and whisking in rodents.
- Test the hypothesis that sniffing and whisking sensorimotor rhythms are phase-locked.
Main Methods:
- Monitored rat sniffing via nasal thermocouple.
- Recorded whisking using mystacial pad electromyography.
- Analyzed sensorimotor coordination during open field reward foraging.
Main Results:
- Sniffing and whisking exhibited strong one-to-one phase locking within the theta frequency (4-12 Hz) during exploration.
- Observed multimode phase locking, with multiple whisks per sniff or vice versa, at a consistent preferred phase.
- Phase relationships coupled inhalation (sniffing) and whisker protraction (whisking).
Conclusions:
- Sniffing and whisking are dynamically coordinated, suggesting interdependent rhythm generators.
- This coordination optimizes the active acquisition of olfactory and somatosensory information.
- Findings provide insights into neural mechanisms underlying multisensory integration.
