Effect of locomotion on the auditory steady state response of head-fixed mice

Abstract

Objectives Electroencephalographic (EEG) examinations of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) can non-invasively probe cortical function to generate the gamma-band (40 Hz) oscillation, which is increasingly applied to the neurophysiological studies on the rodent models of psychiatric disorders. Though, it has been well established that the brain activities are significantly modulated by the behavioural state (such as locomotion), how the ASSR is affected remains unclear. Methods We investigated the effect of locomotion by recording local field potential (LFP) evoked by 40-Hz click-train from multiple brain areas: auditory cortex (AC), medial geniculate body (MGB), hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), in head-fixed mice free to run on a treadmill. Comparisons were conducted on the LFPs during spontaneous movement and stationary conditions. Results We found that in both the auditory (AC and MGB) and non-auditory areas (HP and PFC), locomotion reduced the initial negative deflection of LFP (early response during 0–100 ms from stimulus onset), and had no significant effect on the ASSR phase-locking to the late stimulus (100–500 ms). Conclusions Our results suggest that different neural mechanisms contribute to the early response and ASSR, and the ASSR is a more robust biomarker to investigate the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.