Low-cost open hardware system for behavioural experiments simultaneously with electrophysiological recordings.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Identifying neural correlates of behavior is a key challenge in neuroscience.
• Simultaneous recording of operant responses and neuronal activity is crucial for understanding brain function.
• Existing commercial operant conditioning systems are costly, limiting accessibility for many research labs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel, low-cost platform for recording operant behavior synchronized with electrophysiological activity.
• To provide an open-source, flexible, and adaptable system for diverse operant conditioning tasks.
• To demonstrate the platform's utility in freely moving rats with simultaneous electrophysiological recordings.

Main Methods:

• Development of a custom-built, low-cost operant chamber.
• Integration of behavioral tracking software with electrophysiological recording systems.
• Open-source programming for flexibility and customization.
• Experimental validation using freely moving rats performing operant conditioning tasks.

Main Results:

• Successful simultaneous recording of operant behavior and neural activity in rats.
• Demonstration of the platform's adaptability to various operant conditioning paradigms.
• Validation of the system's reliability and cost-effectiveness compared to commercial alternatives.

Conclusions:

• The developed open-source platform offers a viable and affordable solution for neuroscience research.
• This system facilitates the study of neural mechanisms underlying behavior, particularly in resource-constrained environments.
• The synchronized recording capability advances the investigation of neural correlates of learning and decision-making.