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Cortical Coding of Whisking Phase during Surface Whisking.

Brian R Isett¹, Daniel E Feldman¹

¹Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|June 13, 2020

Summary

Whisker phase coding helps mice better detect surface textures and textures during whisking. This suggests the protraction phase is key for gathering detailed tactile information.

Keywords:

active sensation barrel cortex localization phase coding population code somatosensory cortex texture whisking

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory processing
Somatosensation

Background:

Whisker position and phase are integrated with touch for tactile perception.
The specific role of whisker phase coding in encoding surface features remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how whisker phase coding influences neural representation of surface features during active surface whisking.
To determine if specific whisking phases are preferential for encoding tactile information.

Main Methods:

Electrophysiological recordings from barrel cortex (S1) in mice performing a rough-smooth texture discrimination task.
Analysis of neural unit activity, focusing on phase tuning during whisking in air versus surface contact.

Main Results:

S1 units showed significantly stronger phase tuning during surface whisking compared to whisking in air.
A bias towards protraction phases was observed in pyramidal cells and fast-spiking units.
Protraction-tuned units demonstrated enhanced coding of stick-slip events and better discrimination of textures and spatial locations.

Conclusions:

Whisker phase coding, particularly during protraction, is crucial for high-resolution tactile perception of surface features.
The neural system prioritizes information gathering during the protraction phase for detailed texture and spatial encoding.