Measuring Behavior in Head-Fixed Preparations

May 2, 2025 | In the Community, OpenBehavior Team Update, Uncategorized

Measuring Behavior in Head-Fixed Preparations

This week, we conclude our exploration of the impact of open-source tools for measuring behavior. Our previous posts have focused on tools used in freely moving animals, here, and tools used in the home cage, here.

In the coming weeks, we will report on open-source tools used for electrophysiology and optogenetics.

Eight projects published between 2017 and 2024 reported novel tools for studies using head-fixed preparations. The word cloud shown above represents web page hits for our posts on these projects. Details on the projects are listed below. Perhaps they could be useful for your research?

  1. KineMouse Wheel
    • A light-weight running wheel for head-fixed locomotion that allows for 3D positioning of mice with a single camera.
    • We posted about it in October 2018 (here).
  2. B-CALM
    • An open-source system for behavioral control based on the Arduino Mega microcontroller and a MATLAB-based graphical interface and analysis code.
    • We posted about it in July 2023 (here).
  3. Rodent Behavioral Setup
    • A head-fixed setup for studies using electrophysiology and optogenetics in awake, behaving animals.
    • We posted about it in June 2018 (here).
  4. Palmer Lab Setup
    • An Arduino and Python based platform for conducting Go/No-Go tasks in head-fixed mice.
    • We posted about it in August 2017 (here).
  5. Superfusion Chamber
    • A 3D-printed set of tools including a superfusion chamber for use in electrophysiology and neuroimaging studies.
    • We posted about it in October 2022 (here).
  6. TRIO Platform
    • A low-profile in vivo imaging support and restraint system for mice.
    • We posted about it in December 2018 (here).
  7. Automated Head-Fixation Mesoscale Imaging
    • An automated system for mesoscopic functional imaging that allows subjects to self-initiate head-fixation and imaging within the home-cage.
    • We posted about it in August 2016 (here).
  8. airtrack
    • A head-fixed behavioral environment that uses a lightweight physical maze floating on an air table that moves around the animal’s body under the direct control of the animal.
    • We posted about it in November 2017 (here).

You can explore more of these devices and many others in the Measurement category of our database, check out this LINK.