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Mice licking could reveal mysteries of human brain
Every time we reach for a cup, our brains must assess our hands’ current position in relation to the mug and then command muscles to make the proper adjustments to successfully grab the handle.
The neuroscience of reaching for something and making on-the-spot adjustments has been studied for a century in monkeys.
But now, for the first time, Cornell researchers have developed a technique for studying such motor control in mice – by focusing on a mouse’s tongue when it licks a water spout.
The technique incorporates high-speed cameras and machine learning in a tractable experimental setup that opens the door for revealing mysteries of how the motor cortex works, understanding the neural basis of related disorders like Parkinson’s disease, and informing robotics.