Generalization of Object Localization From Whiskers to Other Body Parts in Freely Moving Rats.

ABSTRACT: Rats can be trained to associate relative spatial locations of objects with the spatial location of rewards. Here we ask whether rats can localize static silent objects with other body parts in the dark, and if so with what resolution. We addressed these questions in trained rats, whose interactions with the objects were tracked at high-resolution before and after whisker trimming. We found that rats can use other body parts, such as trunk and ears, to localize objects. Localization resolution with non-whisking body parts (henceforth, 'body') was poorer than that obtained with whiskers, even when left with a single whisker at each side. Part of the superiority of whiskers was obtained via the use of multiple contacts. Transfer from whisker to body localization occurred within one session,

SUBMITTER: Deutsch D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6839537 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature