Head-mounted optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation system for use in behaving primates

Abstract

Advances in optical technology have revolutionized studies of brain function in freely behaving mice. Here, we describe an optical imaging and stimulation device for use in primates that easily attaches to an intracranial chamber. It consists of affordable commercially available or 3D-printed components: a monochromatic camera, a small standard lens, a wireless μLED stimulator powered by an induction coil, and an LED array for illumination. We show that the intrinsic imaging performance of this device is comparable to a standard benchtop system in revealing the functional organization of the visual cortex for awake macaques in a primate chair or under anesthesia. Imaging revealed neural modulatory effects of wireless focal optogenetic stimulation aimed at identified functional domains. With a 1 to 2 cm field of view, 100× larger than previously used in primates without head restraint, our device permits widefield optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation for ethological studies in primates.