INGEsT: An Open-Source Behavioral Setup for Studying Self-motivated Ingestive Behavior and Learned Operant Behavior.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science
• Physiology

Background:

• Ingestive behaviors (eating, drinking) are crucial for survival but are often studied in isolation, hindering understanding of their integrated neural control.
• The brain's mechanisms for encoding internal states, recalling reward memories, and motivating combined feeding and drinking remain unclear.

Approach:

• Developed the INstrument for Gauging Eating and Thirst (INGEsT), a synchronized behavioral and neuroimaging platform.
• INGEsT integrates a food dispenser, lickometers, behavioral tracking, optogenetics, and miniscopes for *in vivo* calcium imaging.
• Utilized a Bpod microprocessor for precise synchronization of behavioral events (nose pokes, licking) with neural recordings.

Key Points:

• INGEsT enables diverse experimental paradigms, including free access, operant conditioning, and choice behavior for food and water.
• Tracked activity of insular cortex and mPFC Htr3a neurons during ingestive tasks.
• Demonstrated that these neurons encode various aspects of ingestive behavior and are modulated by internal states.

Conclusions:

• The INGEsT platform provides a powerful tool for precisely monitoring innate and learned ingestive behaviors.
• Neural activity in specific brain regions, like the insular cortex and mPFC Htr3a neurons, is critical for encoding ingestive actions.
• This research offers new insights into the neural underpinnings of motivated feeding and drinking behaviors.