CortexCAM: A Camera Array Microscope for Cortex-Wide Cellular Imaging in Freely Locomoting Mice

Area of Science:

• Systems Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Cellular Neuroscience

Background:

• Understanding neuronal activity across brain regions during natural behaviors is crucial.
• Current methods often limit simultaneous imaging to small brain areas or require head-fixed preparations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel imaging system, the Cortex Camera Array Microscope (CortexCAM), for large-scale, simultaneous neuronal activity recording.
• To enable the study of cortex-wide neural dynamics in freely behaving animals during ethologically relevant tasks.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Cortex Camera Array Microscope (CortexCAM) integrating four miniaturized fluorescence microscopes.
• Integrated CortexCAM into a mobile gantry system for volitional motion control (translational and rotational).
• Enabled imaging of over 9000 neurons across dorsal cortical regions in freely locomoting mice.

Main Results:

• Achieved simultaneous, cortex-wide cellular resolution imaging over 48 mm2 of the dorsal cortex.
• Successfully imaged neuronal activity in motor, somatosensory, visual, retrosplenial, and association cortices.
• Demonstrated imaging during volitional movement, choice tasks, and social interactions in mice.

Conclusions:

• The mobile CortexCAM system facilitates studying brain-wide neural dynamics during naturalistic behaviors.
• This technology overcomes limitations of head-fixed preparations for systems neuroscience research.
• Enables novel insights into neural circuits underlying complex behaviors.