title: Correlating whisker behavior with membrane potential in barrel cortex of awake mice.
abstract: To investigate synaptic events underlying sensory perception, we made whole-cell membrane potential recordings of barrel cortex neurons in awake mice while recording whisker-related behavior. During quiet periods, we recorded slow, large-amplitude membrane potential changes, which switched during whisking to small, fast fluctuations that were correlated with whisker position. Robust subthreshold responses were evoked by passive whisker stimulation during quiet behavior and by active whisker contact with an object.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Sensory Processing, Brain Mind Institute, SV-BMI-LSENS AAB 105, Station 15, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crochet
authors.forename: Carl C H
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000294:innervation*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*