Recording Forelimb Muscle Activity in Head-Fixed Mice with Chronically Implanted EMG Electrodes

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Motor Control Research
• Animal Models

Background:

• Mice are crucial models for neuroscience research, but measuring their motor output is challenging due to their small size.
• Traditional electromyographic (EMG) recording methods are not optimized for mice, necessitating custom-made electrodes.
• In-house fabrication of EMG electrodes is the current standard for mouse motor activity recording.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a refined, reproducible procedure for hand-fabricating EMG electrode sets for mice.
• To detail the surgical implantation of these electrodes concurrently with headplate implantation.
• To enable high-resolution EMG recordings for motor control studies in head-fixed mice.

Main Methods:

• Hand fabrication of custom EMG electrode sets.
• Simultaneous surgical implantation of EMG electrodes and headplates.
• Post-operative recovery and care protocols.
• Fixation of a connector onto the headplate for signal acquisition.

Main Results:

• Successful implantation and recovery in mice.
• Acquisition of millisecond-resolution EMG recordings from forelimb muscles.
• Stable signal quality maintained for several weeks of head-fixed behavioral recording.
• Enables simultaneous EMG recording with neural recording or perturbation.

Conclusions:

• The refined method provides a reliable approach for obtaining high-quality EMG data in mice.
• This technique enhances the ability to precisely measure muscle activity during behavior.
• Facilitates in-depth investigation of motor control mechanisms in mouse models.