Measuring the actual timing of liquid-reward delivery using a thermistor.
Measuring the actual timing of liquid-reward delivery using a thermistor.
复制标题
使用热敏电阻测量液体奖励输送的实际时间。
DOI：
10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.04.014
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发表时间：
2014
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Shinya Yamamoto
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Koji Toda;Shigeru Yamane;Shinya Yamamoto
在神经生理学实验中，确定奖励传递的准确时间是至关重要的。尽管这个参数很重要，但精确测量液体奖励的准确传递时间的技术还不发达。尽管在计算机指令和奖励传递之间总是存在一些延迟，但前者已被常规地用于标记奖励开始时间。为了解决这个问题，我们开发了两种估算液体奖励交付时间的方法。首先，检测了管道出口两个触点之间的导电情况。这种技术在正常的实验中是不切实际的，但却是一种直接可靠的测量水流出精确时间的方法。其次，在流体输送管内使用自加热热敏电阻。热敏电阻在水流开始时检测到温度下降。结果计算机指令下达后50 ~ 80ms开始电接触。基于热敏电阻的传递时间估计比电触点测量的延迟约40 ms。时间滞后是恒定的，在相同的实验设置中，试验之间的差异最小。在测量两种方法的时间差的情况下，利用基于热敏电阻的装置可以估计出水的流出时间。这是实验中第一个估算水流开始时间的方法。结论我们的新系统可用于量化奖赏传递时间的设置依赖性变化，提高神经生理实验中奖赏评估的复杂性。
BackgroundDetermining the exact timing of reward delivery is critical in neurophysiological experiments. Despite the importance of this parameter, techniques for precisely measuring the exact delivery time of a liquid reward have been underdeveloped. Although there is always some latency between the computer command and reward delivery, the former has been used routinely to mark reward onset time.New methodTo address this issue, we developed two methods of estimating the time of liquid reward delivery. First, electrical conduction between two contacts at the outlet of a pipe was detected. This technique was impractical during normal experiments but was a direct and reliable method of measuring the precise timing of water outflow. Second, a self-heating thermistor inside the fluid delivery pipe was used. The thermistor detected a decrease in temperature upon commencement of water flow.ResultsThe electrical contact began 50–80 ms after the computer command. The thermistor-based delivery timing estimation was ∼40 ms later than that measured by the electrical contact. The time lag was constant with minimal variance between trials within the same experimental setup.Comparison with existing methodAs far as the time difference between the two methods is measured, the timing of water outflow can be estimated using the thermistor-based device. This is the first method of estimating the onset time of water flow during experiments.ConclusionsOur new system could be used to quantify setup-dependent changes in the timing of reward delivery, improving the sophistication of reward assessments in neurophysiological experiments.