Using wireless recording technologies to investigate cortical coherence in a mouse model of dementia

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Many neuroscientists measure electrical signals in the brains of animals, such mice, in order to understand how the brain stores and processes information. This is often done whilst the mouse is conscious and exploring a maze which test different types of memory. We can also use this technology in mice which have been genetically altered to produce some of the symptoms of diseases such as Alzheimer's, to examine how the brain malfunctions in these conditions. Until recently the only way scientists have been able to do this is to attach a bundle of wires to the animals head whilst the animal is exploring the maze. This process inevitably produces a level of stress and discomfort to the animal and restricts its ability to move freely.In this project, we aim to transfer the skills and knowledge associated with using a wireless recording system (called the 'TaiNi' system), from one of the developers (Eli Lilly) to academic groups based at the University of Exeter. The TaiNi system represents a step change in wireless recording technology for neuroscientists, since it is light enough to be easily carried by a mouse and yet powerful enough to transmit the complex neural signals to a nearby receiver for up to 72 hours at a time. These technological advancements mean that neuroscientists will be able to remotely monitor the electrical activity in a mouse brain, without the need to attach wires to the animal's head, substantially reducing the stress and discomfort associated with these types of experiment; therefore, this technology represents a significant welfare refinement for this type of experiment. We will use the TaiNi system to examine communication between two brain regions that are thought to be important in the ability to remember and recognise familiar environments. This type of memory is severely impaired in people suffering from Alzheimer's disease, resulting in patients becoming lost and disorientated even in familiar places. Therefore, we will also examine communication between these brain regions in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. These experiments will have two broad aims: firstly, the data gleaned from these studies will help explain the brain mechanisms underlying a devastating early symptom of dementia; and secondly, these studies will provide a 'proof of principal' that wireless recording technologies can be successfully deployed in mice. If successful in these aims, we will be in a position to contribute important information about how dementia affects the brain to the scientific and clinical dementia community. Furthermore, we will be able to provide guidance to other scientists wishing to use the TaiNi wireless recording system in their research.