Single-Unit Extracellular Recording from the Cerebellum During Eyeblink Conditioning in Head-Fixed Mice.

Abstract

This chapter presents a method for performing in vivo single-unit extracellular recordings and optogenetics during an associative, cerebellum-dependent learning task in head-fixed mice. The method uses a cylindrical treadmill system that reduces stress in the mice by allowing them to walk freely, yet it provides enough stability to maintain single-unit isolation of neurons for tens of minutes to hours. Using this system, we have investigated sensorimotor coding in the cerebellum while mice perform learned skilled movements.