Evaluation of critical flicker-fusion frequency measurement methods using a touchscreen-based visual temporal discrimination task in the behaving mouse. (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nomura, Yuichiro; Ikuta, Shohei; Yokota, Satoshi; Mita, Junpei; Oikawa, Mami; Matsushima, Hiroki; Amano, Akira; Shimonomura, Kazuhiro; Seya, Yasuhiro; Koike, Chieko
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience research. Volume 148(2019)
• Page Start: 28
• Page End: 33
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: Touchscreen -- Operant behavior -- Critical flicker-fusion frequency; Neurosciences -- Research -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Research -- Japan -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Periodicals; Neurosciences -- Recherche -- Périodiques; Neurosciences -- Recherche -- Japon -- Périodiques; Neurosciences -- Research; Japan; Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2018.12.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0168-0102

Abstract

Highlights: Mouse critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) was estimated by behavioral performance using an operant system. Two different types of psychological methods were employed, the ascending method of limit and method of constant stimuli. We estimated the mouse CFF to be about 14 Hz. Our results highlight the usefulness of the operant conditioning method for measuring mouse visual temporal resolution. Abstract: The critical flicker-fusion frequency (CFF), defined as the frequency at which a flickering light is indistinguishable from a continuous light, is a useful measure of visual temporal resolution. The mouse CFF has been studied by electrophysiological approaches such as recordings of the electroretinogram (ERG) and the visually evoked potential (VEP), but it has not been measured behaviorally. Here we estimated the mouse CFF by using a touchscreen based operant system. The test with ascending series of frequencies and that with randomized frequencies resulted in about 17 and 14 Hz, respectively, as the frequency which could not be distinguished from steady lights. Since the ascending method of limits tend to overestimate the threshold than the descending method, we estimated the mouse CFF to be about 14 Hz. Our results highlight usefulness of the operant conditioning method in measurement of the mouse visual temporal resolution.